The ethics of curiosity and risk in the digitization of DNA cannot be overlooked. While the direct consumer product provides many benefits, including learning about potential health risks, finding relatives, and helping medical science, it also has several risks that cannot be taken lightly. Unlike other information that a person may choose to share online, the information in a person’s DNA cannot be deleted or reset. I believe that the risks are too great, and a person should be cautious before undergoing a DNA test, even though the benefits are worth it, since they do not outweigh the risks by much, considering that cybersecurity cannot be guaranteed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The concerns that Rizkallah has in mind regarding corporate and employment privacy are alarming in the context of the ability of employers to access or request such information, which could result in a form of \u201cgenetic discrimination,\u201d where a person is discriminated against not despite their actual ability but in spite of their predisposition to a particular illness or attribute. Such a case would be a major ethical concern despite the laws that protect against it, as unauthorized access or breach could still happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u201chacking humans\u201d concept assumes a new level of urgency in the case of biological information. Unlike information that uses a password for access, which can be changed in case of unauthorized access, biological information, such as DNA, cannot be changed. This means that the \u201chuman factor\u201d in information security is no longer just about tricking a person into giving information but about protecting something that is inextricably linked to the person\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The ethics of curiosity and risk in the digitization of DNA cannot be overlooked. While the direct consumer product provides many benefits, including learning about potential health risks, finding relatives, and helping medical science, it also has several risks that cannot be taken lightly. Unlike other information that a person may choose to share online,… <\/p>\n