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Comment by ImJamal | Hacker News Reader

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ImJamal·

This is already happening in California (since the 80s). I'm not sure about other states.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-biobank-dna-babies-w...

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One of the many reasons i had told my SO that we have to leave CA before having any kids.

I understand criticisms against CA, but thinking this does not happen in other states regardless of their political affiliation is naivety at best.

The linked article clearly says "Like many states.." but does not list which states.

The only way you are beating this is by birthing at home and hoping no complications occur.

While other states may also collect DNA, it is amongst the worst since they do not later destroy it.

>Some states destroy the blood spots after a year, 12 states store them for at least 21 years.

>California, however, is one of a handful of states that stores the remaining blood spots for research indefinitely in a state-run biobank.

isn't it standard practice to take a blood sample from the newborn? i just automatically assumed this was part of the intended tests for that sample

The problem is that it is not just used for running tests to see if the child is healthy.

From the article

>But while the state may not be making money off your child's DNA, Lorey admitted that there is the potential for outside researchers to profit off your child's genetic material.

And

>Law enforcement also can — and does — request identified blood spots. We found at least five search warrants and four court orders, including one to test a child's blood for drugs at birth.

That's my point. I just assumed DNA samples were being taken as well. Generously, I'd assume part of that was some sort of paternity testing since Maury Povich isn't on the air any longer.

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