In class on Tuesday we discussed the implications of incorrect data collection and I brought up the example of The United Kingdom National DNA Database (UK NDNAD, officially known as the UK National Criminal Intelligence DNA Database). The UK NDNAD was the world’s first national DNA database and now stores the genetic details of about 5.3 million people. It is currently the second largest DNA database in the world, second only to FBI’s database in the US. The NDNAD is comprised of DNA samples that are collected from crime scenes, and by everyone who is ever, “arrested on suspicion of committing a ‘recordable’ offense,” in the United Kingdom, which, as of 2006, includes infractions such as not wearing a seat belt. In 2005, the UK NDNAD held the profiles of over 585,000 children under the age of 16, since “everything from littering to skipping out on bus fares,” qualify as grounds to collect a DNA sample.
When new DNA profiles are added to the NDNAD, their information systems automatically search for matches between individuals and genetic material from crime scenes. In recent years, in attempts to solve more crimes, the database has begun doing familial searching, searching for family members of the wrongdoer if this person’s DNA is not in the database. Also, in attempts to target out violent citizens who are most likely to commit violent crimes, behavioral analysts within the UK’s Violent Crime Directorate use the information systems of the NDNAD to construct psychological profiles on people in the database based on all the information ever collected about them. These potentially violent people are then monitored.
In regards to what we discussed in class, it has been recently found that half a million names in the NDNAD have been mislabeled with incorrect names. So potentially, you could be monitored for the rest of your life and assumed violent when you have never done anything wrong. This is an obvious case of the problems that arise with incorrect information in databases and how influential and destructive these mistakes can be.
http://people.howstuffworks.com/future-crime-database.htm
I would agree. This is something that needs to be fixed fast. It wastes a lot of time and money especially if the wrong person is caught.
ReplyDeleteWhile this system is clearly flawed, is the incorrect data worth getting rid of the entire system for? While there are innocent people in the database, there are also people in the database who deserve to be there. I know personally I would rather be an innocent person on the list and have the database contibue to operate than have the database abolished and allow possible criminals to go uncaught.
ReplyDeleteWhat good is being innocent if they have incorrect data on you? If they are going after the wrong person, the system seems useless because the person who actually committed the crime would be getting away. It seems like it would be great to keep track of people, but I don't see the point if so many mistakes are being made. It sounds a little bit like an invasion of privacy. Why would someone need your DNA if you just committed a small offense such as not wearing a seatbelt? It seems like an excuse to keep tabs on people, but with mistakes being made, are they really keeping tabs on anyone?
ReplyDeleteIf this system is that flawed, then a person could be deemed bad when they have never done anything bad, which is totally unfair. I understand where they are going with it, but they really need to make sure that they fix those problems.
ReplyDeleteThis seems to me like a glaring example of how technology can go wrong. I think that the idea behind it is a good one, but there obviously needs to be some work done on the methods. It is not really a good tool to ensure safety and justice if it is this flawed.
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