The issue with Government holding citizen’s DNA profiles is hot topic in the UK right now. Britain has in fact one of the largest DNA databases in the world, with profiles of over 5 million people, or 8 percent of the population.
Police currently have the power to take DNA or fingerprints from anyone at the point of arrest and keep the information indefinitely — much longer than in many other countries.
Last year the European Court ruled against this praxis labeling it as violation of human rights in accordance to the Human Rights Convention, which Britain has signed. Yesterday came the British response: it plans to get rid of DNA profiles of most innocent people after six years. Human rights organizations are roaring against this decision, since there appears to be no differentiation between those arrested for petty crimes and those with more serious charges. Most other European countries only retain the DNA of individuals suspected of crimes like terrorism, rape and pedophilia.
DNA is a very sensitive subject, especially when it comes to one’s privacy. This is why we selected the most innovative technologies to protect the data you store at Swiss DNA Bank and rely on our country’s privacy policy.
