The discussion of DNA databases leaves the panel members in doubt

Should governments around the world create a DNA database of all citizens? We have asked our panel members just that – read the article to find out their answers.

The discussion on DNA databases has been around for quite some time and while DNA in some cases helps finding the person who is guilty of a crime it has also confirmed the innocence and thus freed people from Death Row for instance in the US. DNA databases are therefore useful in some aspects, however, many people find the idea of such databases intrusive, unethical and problematic.

We have asked our panel members if they think governments around the world should establish a DNA database for all citizens - i.e. not just for the people that have been convicted of a crime. The majority of our panel members have chosen the category "Don't know" in this regard, more precisely between 55 and 59 percent in all countries except for Finland are having doubts as to whether or not such a database should be created. In Finland 40 percent have chosen the same option.

92 percent of Userneeds' Irish panel members have chosen either "No" or "Don't know", which is the largest figure compared to the other countries. Only 8 percent in Ireland thus state that governments should create such a database, whereas 14 percent in example Sweden and Finland think the same thing. Nonetheless, the vast majority of the panel members in all the countries say either "No" or "Don't know" which means that the Finnish, Irish, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish government should not extend its current nor build a new DNA database - at least not if Userneeds' panel members have a say.