Genetic Stalking and Voyeurism: A New Challenge to Privacy

Abstract

A new website has just been launched with the URL of www.celebritygenetics.com (“Celebrity Genetics”). 1 Designed to appeal to the public’s seemingly insatiable appetite for information about celebrities, 2 Celebrity Genetics sells genetic information about hundreds of entertainers, politicians, athletes, and other public figures. For a fee ranging from twenty dollars to several hundred dollars, individuals and commercial publishers (such as blogs and tabloids) can purchase genetic information about selected celebrities, such as relatedness to other celebrities (e.g., paternity); ancestral place of origin; cognitive ability; behavioral genetic profile (e.g., genetic contribution to sexual orientation, propensity to addiction, and degree of risk-seeking behavior); and predisposition to various illnesses.

Keywords: genetics, privacy, invasion of privacy, gina, dna test, genetic nondiscrimination, nondiscrimination act

JEL Classification: K31, K32