Experts Warn Of Potential Concerns About Genetic Privacy

Deliberate or accidental disclosure of personal information could result in discrimination, according to leading authorities. Shan Juan reports.

Increasingly strict government controls on genetic information have resulted in longer, slower registration procedures for new and developing drugs. However, the procedures could pose a threat to the people's privacy, according to an expert at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

In an exclusive interview with China Daily, Chen Kaixian, who is also a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said rather than providing extra safeguards, the precautions are actually making genetic information less secure. He urged greater streamlining of the procedures to ease the bottleneck and shorten the registration process.