Genome editing is an emerging technology that can perform loss of function, or gain of function, in basic DNA mapping. This technology can have wonderful effects such as eradicating cancers, birth defects, and other deadly diseases. It can also be used to increase the function of human immune systems which would strengthen one’s ability to fight bacterial or viral infections. While we normally attribute gene editing to humans, it can also be applied to animals, plants, and any other carbon-based life forms.

This sounds great doesn’t it? Why wouldn’t we want to implement this technology to make the world a better and safer place? Well, because not all humans are created equal. Some people have malevolent intentions and may try to use the technology for evil purposes. For example, mandating CRISPR technology to be used in criminal convictions. One such hypothetical would be sentencing a psychopathic criminal to be subjected to gene editing to eradicate the gene that causes psychopathy. And while this may not seem like a bad idea, where does the line get drawn? Psychopathy is seen as an undesirable trait to most people, but what other traits can be seen as undesirable? How will these genes be stored and what data would have to be collected from individuals to determine these undesirable traits?

All of this information has to be kept somewhere, which opens the door to security issues. As we all know from the readings and individual research, hospitals and local governments tend to use older, less secure technologies as a money saving scheme. Can we rely on these organizations to update and maintain newer technologies? It begs the question, what can be done when a cyber criminal gains access to the very foundation of your genetic makeup? It is much harder to regain control of genetic information than it is a social security number or banking information.

To me, if this is the direction we are heading, it is imperative that we allow the owners of such information to have complete and total control of such data. It should not be stored in a data base, but rather, only one copy should be made, be protected, and be totally controlled by the owner of such data.