9 - Genetic Paparazzi

Summary

As genetic sequencing technologies become faster, cheaper, and more informative, they are making their way into many different facets of our lives.We are becoming accustomed to using and sharing our own genetic information, whether it be to investigate ancestry, further medical research, detect diseases, establish paternity, or to inform our reproductive choices.It will not be long before the genetic information of others, public figures in particular, becomes a subject of public discussion.The media will be there to capitalize on this interest, and it might well be only a matter of time before genetic disclosures are published alongside candid photographs of celebrities on tabloid pages.Should such predictions come to pass, genetic paparazzi with swabs and sterile tubes in hand will seek out and analyze discarded genetic materials from the celebrities they pursue, publishing the results, and lawsuits will follow.This chapter provides a current overview of the legal landscape in which genetic paparazzi lawsuits will unfold, including a detailed look at how the proliferation of state genetic privacy laws will intersect with traditional protections afforded to the press.