this post was submitted on 17 Nov 2025
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If it turns out Hitler had some bad genes his relatives' descendants will get a bad name. This is obviously a joke, but it's actually true as well. They've all distanced themselves from the name Hitler, but surely some people know about their relation to Adolf. I guess the questions is: how bad is it when you're grandfathers half-brother or whatever his DNA is public. There is a legitimate privacy concern there, that shouldn't be too easily dismissed because 'haha hitler & privacy'.
the question if you need relatives consent to make your dna public is interesting. I have my opinions, but the question of an historical dead figure has rights to privacy is another.
However, seeing if there's an "evil" gene is both cartoonishly naive and smells of eugenics. Hitler would have approved said study.
His relatives actually decided to not have children collectively afaik.
They appeared to be fairly nice chaps - a friend of mine interviewed one of them 20 years ago for a uni research project.
I feel like you still haven't explained what the privacy concern is
the same as with 23andme and other genetic analysis services
That they reaninate dead people....?
DNA is basically your identity. Your health, your ancestry, everything. But its also, not just you. Its your family, past and future. If we start talking the DNA of the dead, and Im pretty sure we already do as the dead have no rights, then at some point someone is going to challenge the right to privacy of the living in this area. After all, we're all going to die sooner or later, so why not get that sweet, sweet data just now?
Basic harms would be health insurance. If a provider has your DNA, it might show that your great, great granny got cancer. And they use that data to increase your rates. Or worse, deny your treatment, because your granny had the same treatment, and it didnt work.
What about work? Your ancestor has his history of health issues, and so refuses to hire you because you might get that too.
DNA from you or your relatives can also be use to track you, identify you, connect you to certain locations.
But heres the big one. Cancer. Your DNA holds the key to curing cancer. Some company has your DNA, and using your DNA creates a cure for Cancer. They then make trillions of money off of it. And you get fuck all, even though it your DNA. You dont even get to say that it should be given away. Its theirs now.
Also, once a company has your DNA. They have it forever. That you and your family, easily profiled, tracked, and whatever else until the end of time. What if, at some point, some targets you or a descendant with a DNA targeted virus? Science fiction now, but maybe not in the future.
Basically, the damage that can be done is limitless.
Basically what happened to Henrietta Lacks
So what is the actual privacy concern though?
What I just spelled out to you...
Sorry but I just still don't understand how any of that is related to the privacy concern?
Ok, say an insurance provider now has Hitler's dna. And let's say I live in the United states of corruption also. And I have a bad gene. What will they use Hitler's dna on me to harm my privacy? I feel like I am missing something ? Am I supposed to infer a mecha-nano hitler clone drone or something similar will perform a multi stage cyber attack on my privacy?
You are missing something. The ability to read. Everything is spelled out for you in the post. READ IT AGAIN. And keep reading it until you get it.
I already have. I still wonder; what is the privacy concern?? Hitler's relatives have to also form a public organisation and start producing Hitler clones?? When does the jump happen to everyone's dna being public, is there also an implied dna registrar that happens on the timeline due to the extreme fascism? Please I need to understand how this mind contortion happens