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Proposed Bill Would Force Arizonians To Pay $250 To Have Their DNA Added To a Database (gizmodo.com)

technology_dude writes: One by one, thresholds are being crossed where the collection and storage of personal data is accepted as routine. Being recorded by cameras at business locations, in public transportation, in schools, churches, and every other place imaginable. Recent headlines include "Singapore Airlines having cameras built into the seat back of personal entertainment systems," and "Arizona considering a bill to force some public workers to give up DNA samples (and even pay for it)." It seems to be a daily occurrence where we have crossed another line in how far we will go to accept massive surveillance as normal. Do we even have a line the sand that we would defend? Do we even see anything wrong with it? Absolute power corrupts absolutely and we continue to give knowledge of our personal lives (power) to others. If we continue down the same path, I suppose we deserve what we get? I want to shout "Stop the train, I want off!" but I fear my plea would be ignored. So who out there is more optimistic than I and can recommend some reading that will give me hope? Bill 1475 was introduced by Republican State Senator David Livingston and would require teachers, police officers, child day care workers, and many others to submit their DNA samples along with fingerprints to be stored in a database maintained by the Department of Public Safety. "While the database would be prohibited from storing criminal or medical records alongside the DNA samples, it would require the samples be accompanied by the person's name, Social Security number, date of birth and last known address," reports Gizmodo. "The living will be required to pay [a $250 processing fee] for this invasion of their privacy, but any dead body that comes through a county medical examiner's office would also be fair game to be entered into the database."

23 of 357 comments (clear)

  1. If they want my DNA . . . by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 5, Funny

    . . . they'll have to get it the old fashioned way.

    They can kiss my hairy ass, and swab their lips afterwards.

    We have a positive match of your DNA to a murder crime scene from 1910. This was before you were born, but it could have been an accident with a contraceptive in a time machine.

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    1. Re:If they want my DNA . . . by kilfarsnar · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The requirement seems to be tied to a job, so it's your job that's on the line not your freedom.

      I guess freedom really is just another word for "nothing left to lose".

      --
      "What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)
  2. David by mentil · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bill 1475 was introduced by Republican State Senator David Livingston

    I presumed it'd be a Republican to do this.

    --
    Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
    1. Re:David by Freischutz · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Bill 1475 was introduced by Republican State Senator David Livingston

      I presumed it'd be a Republican to do this.

      ... and what are you willing to bet that he either has a stake in the company doing the sampling or received generous cash donations from them?

    2. Re:David by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      You are more accurate than you know. From the article, it looks like he "represents" those who pay him:

      The last time Rep. Livingston made headlines was in 2017 when he sponsored legislation that would make the contents of an insurance policy’s cover sheet and synopsis unenforceable if the long-form contract is different. According to the Arizona Capitol Times, one of Livingston’s fellow lawmakers questioned him on why he was bringing that legislation forward. Livingston reportedly said at the time that “citizens of the state of Arizona” had asked for it. When he was asked if those citizens were “connected to insurance agencies, companies, groups, special interests related to insurance,” Livingstone replied with a simple “yes.”

    3. Re: David by Jumperalex · · Score: 3, Informative

      You, him, and the R's don't get off that easy. The No True Scotsman argument holds no water. He calls himself a Republican, the Republican party accepts and supports him, and probability theory says at least one registered Republican voted for him; if not two.

      Citation: 1856 case of "If it walks like a duck and quacks like a Duck ..."

      --
      If you can't be good, be good at it!
    4. Re:David by rickb928 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Even better. Arizona real estate law, and I bet contract law, specifies that revisions are expected to be honored in preference to 'previous' provisions, in contracts, the principle being that a change should be considered the intention. But insurance policies are, indeed, different, as the cover sheet and synopsis are murky bits, with much dispute over whether these are the governing statements of a policy.

      The bill to make that explicit was actually a good idea, if it had included the requirement of a disclaimer, required to be in the largest font used on the page other than for titling, stating that everything on the cover sheet and synopsis was nonbinding... Which of course could, for some, raise the suspicion that the insurer was not being entirely truthful in the summary...

      Couldn't have THAT, could we?

      --
      deleting the extra space after periods so i can stay relevant, yeah.
    5. Re:David by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Funny, I expected it'd be a Democrat. Take their guns, ridicule their religion, tax their sodas, "Think of the children" and all that.

      The way I see it:
      Democrats want to own all your money and make you be a hippy. Republicans want to own your body and soul. They both want to tell you how to live.

      Both parties have nasty flaws, but over-zealous policing has always been the Republican side of the vice bucket.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    6. Re:David by rickb928 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      If you attributed this to the intentions of any particular political party, you;re doing it wrong. There is only one State.

      --
      deleting the extra space after periods so i can stay relevant, yeah.
    7. Re:David by Uberbah · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The Democrats themselves say that they want to take your guns...

      Repeating a big lie doesn't make it true, it just makes you a more pathetic liar for repeating it. And pathetic you gun nuts are, as you DGAF about police shootings that rend the 2nd Amendment moot. If bearing a firearm in an open carry state is an automatic death sentence (or even not-firearms like the toys or BB guns held by Tamir Rice or John Crawford) then obviously you don't have a right to bear them. If you weren't full of shit, your first priority would be to get those killer cops sent to prison for murder.

    8. Re:David by CaptainDork · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The term "Deep State" is about as meaningless as "snowflake," "libertard," and other stupid motherfucking words that you use as placeholders for knowledge.

      --
      It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
  3. What are they going to do if people refuse? by Registered+Coward+v2 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Fire them? If entire staff at schools, police departments, etc. refuse to take the test and pay it won't turn out well if they try to fire them. Between lawsuits, union fights and politicians trying to explain why school is canceled and the police/fire are not answering calls things will get sorted out quickly. My guess the bill dies quietly in committee...

    --
    I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
    1. Re:What are they going to do if people refuse? by Tomahawk · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It's well and good, but these people need jobs. They are more likely to give them what they want than be out of the street wondering where their next meal will come from.

      People's security is very important to them, and companies know this.

      The best way to stop this is via the law, preferably Federal law.

  4. "Freedom" by Tomahawk · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It seems the more and more the meaning of the word "Freedom" and "Land of the Free" is becoming more and more watered down.
    And I'm not sure I'm surprised, to be honest. It seems that the USA, for everything that it does have, has forgotten about its people.

    There are many countries in the world where this sort of thing just wouldn't happen. Some have laws to protect their citizens (Europe being one -- no was would the GDPR allow this to happen, for example), and some just wouldn't have it within their culture.

    I do fear for the USA sometimes. Things are constantly happening there are making it one of the least free countries in the world. It's a trend that I don't see stopping. You might have missed the deadline of 1984, but I fear that's where you are all heading.

    And it's a bit scary looking at it from here.

  5. More big government by The+Evil+Atheist · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It's always Republicans that want bigger government. It's not about taxes, Libertarians, it's about power.

    --
    Those who do not learn from commit history are doomed to regress it.
  6. Does the list include Senators ? by Alain+Williams · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If they want this then they should lead by example and be the first to have their DNA added to this database.

  7. A common problem it seems. by Sqreater · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Now, and surely more certainly in the future, the information demanded in this law will allow others to become you absolutely anytime they want to. Name, address, social security number, even DNA - what else is left that defines you as you? Hackers will have a field day. We Americans have lost the belief that freedom should cost anything in our daily lives. We are willing to give up freedom, privacy and rights if we think we can attain some minor level of safety and protection by doing so. Those who strive for more power over Americans know this and use this cowardice.

    --
    E Proelio Veritas.
  8. Re:Knowing Arizona as much as I do by forkfail · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It may not fly, but I rather suspect it will trudge forward through the muck and mire.

    --
    Check your premises.
  9. The Machine by JBMcB · · Score: 4, Interesting

    London is also trying to roll out facial recognition, tied into a database that tracks movements. They are basically trying to build The Machine from Person Of Interest, that tracks everyone using cameras and cell phones to predict crimes. The difference being, in Person of Interest, the designer made it so you couldn't "direct" the Machine - it only spat out the ID of potential terrorists. London's technology is totally unencumbered by such fail-safes.

    --
    My Other Computer Is A Data General Nova III.
  10. ...and many others .... by rickb928 · · Score: 4, Informative

    I fear this is a response to a recent incident of abuse at an extended care center here in Arizona. An incident so abhorrent I will not describe it here. So we have an ambulance chaser making such a noble proposal...

    And the overreach:

    In Arizona, this will include real estate salespersons and brokers, among others. The current list of those required, in Arizona, to obtain a fingerprint clearance card:

    ABDE-Dental Hygienist Licensure
    ABDE-Dentist Licensure
    ABDE-Denturist Certification
    ADFI-Appraisal Management/Controlling person
    ADFI-Appraisal Management/Registration
    ADFI-Appraiser-License or Certificate
    ADOT Traffic School Licensure
    ADOT-Driver Training School Licensure
    AZ Board of Fingerprinting-Members & Staff
    AZ Charter School Board-Member/Applicant
    AZ Dept. of Ed-Attend Vocational Program; Age 22 or older
    AZ Dept. of Ed-Child Nutrition Programs
    AZ Dept. of Ed-Surrogate Parents
    AZ Dept. Real Estate-Licensure
    AZ Game and Fish
    AZ Schools for the Deaf & Blind-Superintendent
    BPT - Physical Therapist & Assistants Licensure
    BTR-Alarm Agent Certification
    BTR-Controlling Person Certification
    DCS - Child Welfare/Adoption Agency Employee
    DCS-Adoption
    DCS-Employee or IT Employee or IT Employees of Contractors or Subcontractors
    DCS-Field Employee
    DCS-Foster Home Licensure
    Department of Juvenile Corrections-Licensee or Contract Provider
    DES-CCR&R Registered Home
    DES-Certified Child Care Provider & Non-Certified Relative Provider
    DES-DAAS-Division of Aging & Adult Svcs.
    DES-DDD - Developmental Home Licensure
    DES-DDD/HCBS-Home & Community Based Svcs.
    DES-Domestic Violence/Homeless Shelter
    DES-Employee
    DES-IT Position
    DES-Employee or Contractor with access to Federal Tax Information
    DES-JOBS Program
    DES-WIOA-Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act
    DHS-Arizona State Hospital
    DHS-Child Care Employees & Volunteers
    DHS-Child Care Facility Licensure
    DHS-Child Care Group Home; Certification, Employees or Volunteers
    DHS-Children’s Behavioral Health Programs Employees and Volunteers
    DHS-Nursing Care Administrators & Assisted Living Facility Managers
    DHS-Residential or Nursing Care Institutions; Home Health Agencies – Employees and Volunteers
    Health Science Student & Clinical Assistant
    Juvenile Probation-Supreme Court, County Attorney or other Contract Provider Employee or Volunteer
    State Board of Pharmacy-3rd Party Logistic Providers Representative
    State Board of Pharmacy-Licensure
    State Board of Education (Teacher or Other Certification)
    Tutor or Teacher Preparation Programs
    Charter School Instructor
    School Bus Driver
    Public and/or Charter School Non-certificated personnel
    Public and/or Charter School Contractor, Subcontractor or Vendor and their Employees

    Of note; appraisers, IT subcontractors and their employees, alarm agents.

    The bill specifies collection from (with my notes in parentheses):

    1. A PERSON WHO IS REQUIRED BY LAW TO SUBMIT FINGERPRINTS FOR PURPOSES OF IDENTIFICATION AS PART OF AN APPLICATION FOR LICENSURE, CERTIFICATION OR A PERMIT OR RENEWAL OF A LICENSE, CERTIFICATE OR PERMIT IF THE PERSON HAS NOT PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED DNA ID. (see the list above)

    2. A PERSON WHOSE EMPLOYMENT OR POSITION REQUIRES FINGERPRINTING FOR PURPOSES OF IDENTIFICATION. (apparently requiring collection if an employer requires fingerprinting, overreach)

    3. A PERSON WHO IS EMPLOYED BY OR VOLUNTEERING WITH A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. (redundant)

    4. A PERSON WHO, FOR ANY OTHER REASON, IS REQUIRED BY LAW TO SUBMIT FINGERPRINTS FOR PURPOSES OF IDENTIFICATION. (redundant)

    5. A DECEASED PERSON, WHOSE DNA ID SHALL BE COLLECTED BY THE MEDICAL EXAMINER OR THE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S DESIGNEE AND SUBMITTED PURSUANT TO PROTOCOLS DEVELOPED BY THE DEPARTMENT. A DECEASED PERSON'S DNA ID MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT WITHIN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS AFTER COLLECTION.

    6. A PERSON WHO IS ORDERED BY

    --
    deleting the extra space after periods so i can stay relevant, yeah.
  11. Does this really matter? by dasunt · · Score: 4, Insightful

    We're to the point these days where we can usually use available DNA databases to narrow down suspects to a small family. If we have an unknown DNA sample, we can sequence it, match it against the genealogy DNA databases out there (usually GEDCOM). We'll find that the unknown DNA matches both the Doe family and the Roe families, leaving us to find the individuals resulting from a marriage between the two families. After that, it's just a matter of some simple deduction (e.g. Jane Doe and Richard Roe had four children, one was male while the suspect's DNA was female, another was living in Alaska at the time, but the third and fourth one was in the area at the time of the murder), some police work to retrieve a sample of DNA (e.g. tail them, wait for them to get a coffee and then fish the empty coffee cup out of the trash), and it's done.

    The cat's out of the bag at this point. Assume GEDCOM and the other genealogy databases go defunct. Okay, great, you've just delayed the problem for a few years before some federal contractor builds in the ability to match DNA samples to relatives who have been incarcerated or DNA collected at a crime scene. (The US locks up a lot of people. Countless others (including murder victims) have their DNA collected by the police for the purpose of elimination.)

    I think the question we should be asking is what limits should we put on this power? And how do we work on training police and prosecutors in this new era? What instructions do we give to a jury? Because when you can match anyone's DNA that you find at a crime scene, it's going to lead to more random coincidences and mistakes. (A famous one would be the "serial killer" whose DNA was found at multiple crime scenes - but it turned out the "killer" was a factory worker at the place that makes the swabs being used.)

  12. Re:Jumperatex supports KKK? by kilfarsnar · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Says the guy supporting a KKK member as VA gov in Northam A serial rapist as VA Lt. Gov in Fairfax In addition that same Northam told us about how he supports killing live born babies brought to full term and calling it abortion.

    Sure, you support the KKK, rapists, and killing babies. Congratulations! You are literally a monster

    You sure you want to stand by that last statement? I ask because David Duke and the KKK have literally announced their support for Donald Trump. I'm not saying Trump is a racist; I'm saying other racists think Donald Trump is a racist. So congratulations.

    --
    "What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)
  13. Need to pass a data privacy liability act too by goombah99 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Before they pass this they need to pass a data privacy liability act. It should state the penalty for every occurence of a data record being lost to hackers because of inadequte security on the data base. FOr example, $1 million for loss of a DNA record, $500K for loss of a financial record, $250K for loss of a social security number. $100K for loss of a purchase history record and so on.
    Additionally the penalty would apply not just to the person that collected the data in the first place but separately to any other parties it was entrusted to who lost it. So shared data would be subject to double the penalty. This would prevent avoiding responsibility by delegation.

    If they did that then I'd not be quite as fearful of this. It could still be abused by the gov't itself but this would reasonably limit the scope

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.