I enjoyed reading about DNA testing in last Sunday’s Ideas section (“Gene tests are everywhere. But how reliable are they?’’). One issue that wasn’t addressed was privacy. What assurance do I have that my DNA code won’t be accessible to various security agencies, just as telecoms and Internet service providers were strong-armed into providing access to information? It doesn’t take much imagination to envision an overzealous investigator running with a partial match and charging someone with a felony. The charge would be enough to ruin some careers, and the bureaucratic nightmare that would ensue would be stressful and expensive to defend legally.

Steve Watson

Lynnfield