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DNA Databases in the U.S. and China Are Tools of Racial Oppression
Two major world powers, the United States and China, have both collected an enormous number of DNA samples from their citizens, the premise being that these samples will help solve crimes that might have otherwise gone unsolved. While DNA evidence can often be crucial when it comes to determining who committed a crime, researchers argue these DNA databases also pose a major threat to human rights.
In the U.S., the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has a DNA database called the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) that currently contains over 14 million DNA profiles. This database has a disproportionately high number of profiles of black men, because black Americans are arrested five times as much as white Americans. You don't even have to be convicted of a crime for law enforcement to take and store your DNA; you simply have to have been arrested as a suspect.
[...] As for China, a report that was published by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in mid-June claims that China is operating the "world's largest police-run DNA database" as part of its powerful surveillance state. Chinese authorities have collected DNA samples from possibly as many as 70 million men since 2017, and the total database is believed to contain as many as 140 million profiles. The country hopes to collect DNA from all of its male citizens, as it argues men are most likely to commit crimes.
DNA is reportedly often collected during what are represented as free physicals, and it's also being collected from children at schools. There are reports of Chinese citizens being threatened with punishment by government officials if they refuse to give a DNA sample. Much of the DNA that's been collected has been from Uighur Muslims that have been oppressed by the Chinese government and infamously forced into concentration camps in the Xinjiang province.
Related:
EFF to Supreme Court: The Fourth Amendment Covers DNA Collection
EFF Sues Justice Dept. Over FBI's Rapid DNA Plans
Kuwait Creating Mandatory DNA Database of All Citizens, Residents--and Visitors
San Diego Police Department Accused of Unlawful DNA Collection From Minors
Massive DNA Collection Campaign in Xinjiang, China
Study Predicts Appearance From Genome Sequence Data
GEDmatch: "What If It Was Called Police Genealogy?"
Bavarian Law Broadens Police Surveillance and DNA Profiling Powers
DNA Collected from Golden State Killer Suspect's Car, Leading to Arrest
Another Alleged Murderer Shaken Out of the Family Tree
Indiana Murder Suspect Found by Using Genealogical Website
Public Ancestry Data Can be Used to Narrow Down the Identity Behind an Anonymous DNA Sample
Rapid DNA Analysis Machines Coming to Police Departments
FamilyTreeDNA Deputizes Itself, Starts Pitching DNA Matching Services To Law Enforcement
Genealogy Sites Have Helped Identify Suspects. Now They've Helped Convict One
U.S. to Collect DNA of All Undocumented Migrants
US Court Let Police Search GEDmatch's Entire DNA Database Despite Protections
China Uses DNA to Map Faces, With Help From the West
Cousin Took a DNA Test? Courts Could Use it to Argue You are More Likely to Commit Crimes
Ancestry Says Police Requested Access To Its DNA Database
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 07 2020, @02:58PM (5 children)
True, they're only around 3 times more likely to commit violent crimes. [whiteprivilegeisntreal.org] IIRC the arrest rate is around 2.5 times higher overall in the US while the linked article seems to only look at a limited number of jurisdictions.
(Score: 0, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 07 2020, @03:45PM (1 child)
Two things:
1) You are making a common statistical mistake based on their data. Imagine 50% of people commit 100% of crime. How much more likely is that 50% to commit crime than the rest of society? It's obviously not (percent_of_crime_committed / percent_of_population) because that'd lead you to believe that they're only twice as likely to commit crime when compared to the other 50% of people who are committing 0 crime!
So how do you calculate the proper number? Break it down into ratios. Imagine 10% of people commit 50% of crime. The ratio there is 50% crimes per 10% population = 50/10. The rest of society would be 50% with 90% of remaining crimes = 50/90. So the first group has a relative rate of (50/10) / (50/90) = 9 meaning they are 900% more likely to commit crime. In our earlier example of 50% committing 100% you get: (100 / 50) / (0 / 50) = 2 / 0 = infinity. The point of this is that 10% of people committing 30% of crime are engaging in crime at a much higher relative rate than 3x.
2) That site made a critical mistake. They said violent crimes but they're looking at *all* crimes. Here [fbi.gov] is the table they linked to. You can confirm that it includes arrests for drug violations, DUI, vandalism, etc. The violent crime ratio is about 10x higher for blacks compared to non-hispanic whites.
(Score: 0, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 07 2020, @05:55PM
Ha! The racist trolls just love downmodding everyone who argues with them, but dare downmod a racist post and they cry oppression.
Truly they are the most pathetic users around here.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday July 07 2020, @08:49PM (2 children)
Did you just unironically link to a site called "whiteprivilegeisntreal.org" and expect people to accept it as a reliable source?
You've been modded Flamebait, but maybe Funny would be more appropriate.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Thursday July 09 2020, @08:33AM (1 child)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Thursday July 09 2020, @09:20PM
Ok, but whiteprivilegeisntreal.org?
How could I possibly take that seriously?