Google Accused Of Bio-piracy

miCRoSCoPiC^eaRthLinG

Mar 31 2006, 04:23 AM

[/tab]In a dramatic turn of events, the search behemoth Google is being accused of Bio-Piracy. This comes in the light of Google's plans to create a huge searchable database of all the genes on this planet in collaboration with the genomic research institute J. Craig Venter.

[tab]Apparently this week Google has been presented with an award as part of the Captain Hook Awards for Biopiracy in Curitiba, Brazil.

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Search giant Google has been accused of being the "biggest threat to genetic privacy" for its alleged plan to create a searchable database of genetic information.

Google was presented with an award as part of the Captain Hook Awards for Biopiracy in Curitiba, Brazil, this week. The organisers allege that Google's collaboration with genomic research institute J. Craig Venter, to create a searchable online database of all the genes on the planet, is a clear example of biopiracy.

Biopiracy refers to the "monopolisation of genetic resources" according to the show's organisers. It is also defined as the unauthorised use of biological resources by organisations such as corporations, universities and governments.

According to the award's Web site, Google is guilty of biopiracy because plans for a searchable database could make it easier for private genetic information to be abused. "Google, in cooperation with Craig Venter, are developing plans to make all of our genomes Googlable to facilitate the brave new world of private genetically-tailored medicines," the site claims.

Jim Thomas, from ETC Group, which is one of the organisers behind the awards ceremony, said that Google's recent moves around storing consumer information could land it in hot water with privacy campaigners of all kinds. "The new 'we want to store everyone's information online' mission statement is going to get very controversial if they extend that to genomic information. If Google thinks online privacy is a big can of worms wait until they realise what they've opened up with the whole genetic privacy debate," he said.

Read full article at: Google accused of bio-piracy

Would such a database be of immense help - or a severe invasion of privacy? What say you ?

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Transcendum

Mar 31 2006, 04:37 AM

QUOTE(miCRoSCoPiC^eaRthLinG @ Mar 31 2006, 06:23 AM)

Would such a database be of immense help - or a severe invasion of privacy? What say you ?

Hello, m^e...

Well, as a matter of fact, I hadn't thought such genetical information was even available to such a great extent that Google could classify them and use them for whatever purpose. But I suppose they are!

Actually, Google has been accused of too many privacy-invasion issues that it's becoming a Holy Grail for the justifiably paranoid and Conspiracy-Theory buffs. It seems like they're trying to literally build a database of Humanity.

As for your question, I can't be sure at this point. I still don't have enough information to go by. But if I'm to judge by previous matters, I'll say yes, this certainly is a severe invasion of privacy. Of course, it could be of such immense help that we'd approve of it, but I wonder whether the gains are worth the risky sacrifice!

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Hraefn

Mar 31 2006, 06:14 AM

I have to admit that it's the first time I've ever heard of genetic privacy myself. On the face of it, it looks like having a database of genetic information would be immensely useful — and it would be, let's not forget it — but having read up on some articles regarding genetic privacy, I can see why people would leery of this most recent Google project. The privacy of genetic information and when such information can be disclosed seems to be a heavily debated issue in the bioethics community (see related article), and it looks like the main argument for genetic privacy is that the dissemination of such personal information would open up another can of worms: genetic discrimination.

Now, we all know how the law enforcement agencies' practice of racial profiling has exacerbated racial discrimination. Of course, racial discrimination has been around long before racial profiling became regular practice, but the introduction of racial profiling sort of gave a reason for such discrimination, however wrong and twisted such a reason may be. People fear something similar may happen once genetic information becomes common knowledge, that people may begin to discriminate against other people simply because of supposed genetic predisposition. To quote a section of the article I linked to previously:

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The problem is the risk of stigma and discrimination, particularly in access to health insurance and employment. For example, many people who reveal genetic test results to their health or life insurers report that they are denied insurance or that their policies are canceled.

That said, I also took a look at the website of the Captain Hook Awards for Biopiracy which Google received for details about Google's genome database project. To tell the truth, it really doesn't look all that much an invasion of privacy. If I understand it correctly, individual genetic information isn't what is going to be stored in the genome database — meaning that if someone Googles your name, for example, they wouldn't find a page with all your genetic information online. What Google will have is an online database containing a catalogue of all known genes and gene sequences, and all information associated with those genes, like genetic predisposition for certain diseases and disorders, physical and personality traits, etc.. Users can then Google up their own genetic sequences (which I believe they can find out from their doctor or through a gene test) and learn just what their genes have in store for them. They can also use that information of chose the medicine that's tailored for their particular genes. To quote the award website:

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Google are reportedly making their massive computing power available to the J Craig Venter Foundation for gene sequencing to generate a gene catalogue for all the genes on the planet. Individual users will then input their own genetic sequence for a read out of their genetic predispositions analyzed against the existing database.

Now what's wrong with that? If individual information isn't made publicly available, then is it really an invasion of privacy?

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kaputnik

Mar 31 2006, 10:16 AM

Now, having anything available online - searchable to anyone who may want to is I believe all for the greatest good. If Google plans on charging for the search, then it's something that may be a bit of a concern as far as Google's business mehods are concerned. As far as the general public is concerned, most folks do not have a clue about what to do with a decoded strand of any gene.

This however is very usefuf for people involved in the commercial manupulation as well as the research of genome modification. Now, what results from gene modification, dicing, splicing and the general blending of genetic data is of course left much to debate, and will no doubt be regulated by local laws in diffrent parts of the world. Overall, any information that is available for general public usage through a search, helps in the overall advancement of the human population. Google should endevour to provide information that is not copyright in as many areas as possible.

More tha information in varied areas that are available, the more the unique solutions to most problems will be hatched. Something like this will especially help out in TRIZ.

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