Using DNA for Access Control

Youâ€™ve probably heard of the genetic testing site, 23andMe. The site allows users to send in a swab covered in their saliva for genetic decoding. When that code is translated, itâ€™s viewable online as a pie chart of ancestry. 23andMe even offers an API that allows you to share your genetic information with the REST of the world.Â Genetic information is some powerful stuff: It can countermand information thatâ€™s been passed down through a family, provide a clue to lost relatives, and even offer unexpected insights into oneâ€™s origins. But did you ever think that genetic information could be used as an access control?Â Stumbling around GitHub, I came across this bit of code: Genetic Access Control. Now, budding young racist coders can check out your 23andMe page before they allow you into their website!Â Seriously, this code uses the 23andMe API to pull genetic info, then runs access control on the user based on the results. Just why you decide not to let someone into your site is up to you, but it can be based on any aspect of the 23andMe API.Â This is literally the code to automate racism. The author offers up a number of possible uses, many of which sound fairly legitimate, however. Imagine a womenâ€™s support group online that restricts access to women only. What if JDate didnâ€™t just take your word for it that you were Jewish, and actually checked your DNA to make sure?

Source: Using DNA for Access Control