China’s massive effort to collect its people’s DNA concerns scientists

China’s massive effort to collect its people’s DNA concerns scientists

Scientists raise alarms about China DNA data

Researchers are concerned about China’s effort to collect DNA from millions of men to help to solve crimes. China is collecting DNA samples from up to 10% of its male population — that’s about 70 million adults and children — according to a report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. The report says that those DNA profiles can be used to construct genetic links to China’s entire male population, putting their privacy at risk. The Chinese Ministry of Public Security did not respond to Nature’s request for comment on the risks that the database could be used for purposes other than criminal investigations.

Nature | 6 min readReference: Australian Strategic Policy Institute report