Yeah this seems like an important question. I’m not sure what to think. Ideally someone with more background in medical ethics could address this. E.g. I’m not sure how to navigate what would happen if, for example, law enforcement claimed it needed access to some info (e.g. to enforce regulations about germline engineering, or to use in forensic investigation of a crime); or if there were a malpractice suit about a germline engineering clinic, or something. I’m also not sure what is standardly done, and what the good and bad results are, in situations where a child might have an interest in their parents not sharing some info about them.
But certainly, in a list of innovation-positive ethical guidelines for scientists and clinicians regarding germline engineering, some sort of strong protection of privacy would have to be included. This is a good point, thanks.
Yeah this seems like an important question. I’m not sure what to think. Ideally someone with more background in medical ethics could address this. E.g. I’m not sure how to navigate what would happen if, for example, law enforcement claimed it needed access to some info (e.g. to enforce regulations about germline engineering, or to use in forensic investigation of a crime); or if there were a malpractice suit about a germline engineering clinic, or something. I’m also not sure what is standardly done, and what the good and bad results are, in situations where a child might have an interest in their parents not sharing some info about them.
But certainly, in a list of innovation-positive ethical guidelines for scientists and clinicians regarding germline engineering, some sort of strong protection of privacy would have to be included. This is a good point, thanks.