Privacy Considerations of Genome Sequencing

Millions of human genomes will be fully sequenced in the coming years, yet security researchers have just begun to look at how to protect the data. In recent years, whole genome sequencing (WGS) evolved from a futuristic-sounding research project to an affordable technology for mapping complete human genome sequences. This prompts a wide range of revolutionary applications for improving modern healthcare and providing a better understanding of how the human genome relates to disease and response to treatments. By the same token, this progress raises worrisome privacy and ethical issues, since, besides uniquely identifying its owner, the genome constitutes a treasure trove of highly personal and sensitive information. Some laws exist, but they are very difficult to enforce. In this session, we will summarize recent advances in genomics and describe important privacy issues associated with human genomic information. Then, with the whole audience, we will discuss how the research community can respond to this formidable challenge.

An introduction to genome privacy can be found here.