The UK National DNA Database: Setting a Precedent Worldwide?

Ten years ago the UK government began significantly expanding its police DNA database: collecting DNA on arrest from age ten for all recordable offences and retaining computerised DNA profiles and biological samples to age 100, including DNA collected without consent from about a million innocent people. This presentation described the role of the UK government and commercial interests in setting a precedent for DNA database expansion around the world. It also highlighted lessons from the successful campaign to introduce new legislation to scale back the DNA database by removing innocent people’s records and destroying all DNA samples. The need to tackle misleading claims about the benefits of DNA database expansion was emphasised.