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."

Comments

If they want my DNA . . .

[PolygamousRanchKid]

. . . 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.

Re:If they want my DNA . . .

[kilfarsnar]

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".

David

[mentil]

Bill 1475 was introduced by Republican State Senator David Livingston

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

Re:David

[Freischutz]

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?

Re:David

[Anonymous Coward]

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.”

Re:David

[Oswald McWeany]

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.

"Freedom"

[Tomahawk]

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.

Does the list include Senators ?

[Alain Williams]

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

Re:Jumperatex supports KKK?

[kilfarsnar]

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.

Need to pass a data privacy liability act too

[goombah99]

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