International Law

UK police routinely arresting people to get DNA

According to the Guardian, citing a report to be released tomorrow, police in the UK have been routinely arresting people wihtout justification just to get their DNA into the national database:

Police routinely arresting people to get DNA, inquiry claims Politics The Guardian

Police officers are now routinely arresting people in order to add their DNA sample to the national police database, an inquiry will allege tomorrow.

The review of the national DNA database by the government's human genetics commission also raises the possibility that the DNA profiles of three-quarters of young black males, aged 18 to 35, are now on the database.

The human genetics commission report, Nothing to hide, nothing to fear?, says the national DNA database for England and Wales is already the largest in the world, at 5 million profiles and growing, yet has no clear statutory basis or independent oversight....

Via Boing Boing.

Full post as published by The Canadian Privacy Law Blog on November 24, 2009 (boomark / email).