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Would you support national CCTV, facial recognition and DNA collection at birth?

107 replies

Rostio · 26/04/2026 08:52

For the purpose of law and order, would you be for or against:
A) More CCTV and facial recognition, all connected to a national system.
B) DNA collected and recorded from babies at birth.

(Ironically, the first time I've used the AI title generation!).

OP posts:
ItsJustMeMyself · 26/04/2026 08:52

no

wahwahwoo · 26/04/2026 08:53

No

Blahblahblahabla · 26/04/2026 08:53

That’s horribly distopian to collect babies dna for law and order.

Boopybop · 26/04/2026 08:54

No

ThatFairy · 26/04/2026 08:54

No. We have a right to a private life. It would lead to future generations biographing our whole lives in the name of history. They probably already will but I don't want videos of me as well

Iheartmysmart · 26/04/2026 08:54

No.

MidnightPatrol · 26/04/2026 08:54

No - collecting DNA in particular seems a bit extreme.

What level of data like this (fingerprints etc) do we collect on people coming into the country? I’m not sure.

Rostio · 26/04/2026 09:02

It would be helpful if people could explain why they're against it.

That’s horribly distopian to collect babies dna for law and order.
That would have been the argument against collecting names, parentage and date of birth at some point.

OP posts:
EasternStandard · 26/04/2026 09:04

No

Rostio · 26/04/2026 09:06

No. We have a right to a private life. It would lead to future generations biographing our whole lives in the name of history. They probably already will but I don't want videos of me as well

This is a really good response. Made me think about the family genealogy I've done - tracking my ancestors through census returns, occupation journals and military records. Hadn't thought about it as an invasion of their privacy before.
Videos - I think more people are currently recording and posting videos of themselves than any CCTV company is.

OP posts:
Comtesse · 26/04/2026 09:08

Literally no need for that. We can’t even manage to have national ID cards, how exactly would a universal DNA library work?

ilovebrie8 · 26/04/2026 09:09

Definitely no

Zov · 26/04/2026 09:09

Not a fan of this idea. Bit too George Orwell for me!

newornotnew · 26/04/2026 09:09

No

Rostio · 26/04/2026 09:10

That’s horribly distopian to collect babies dna for law and order.

What about people who endure and survive horrible crimes and have to wait years for justice until their assailant is caught by DNA (or die without justice brought at all).

OP posts:
Octavia64 · 26/04/2026 09:10

Facial recognition is very inaccurate

Woodfiresareamazing2 · 26/04/2026 09:11

Rostio · 26/04/2026 09:06

No. We have a right to a private life. It would lead to future generations biographing our whole lives in the name of history. They probably already will but I don't want videos of me as well

This is a really good response. Made me think about the family genealogy I've done - tracking my ancestors through census returns, occupation journals and military records. Hadn't thought about it as an invasion of their privacy before.
Videos - I think more people are currently recording and posting videos of themselves than any CCTV company is.

No. Due to privacy issues and how the data could be misused.
Your point re people uploading videos - it's their own choice to do that. Big difference.

Rostio · 26/04/2026 09:11

Literally no need for that. We can’t even manage to have national ID cards, how exactly would a universal DNA library work?

Well, I am pro ID cards. There is already a national DNA database. I remember once at Leeds station they were paying people £10 to contribute their DNA.

OP posts:
ItsJustMeMyself · 26/04/2026 09:12

Every time people provide a reason, there is a counter argument of false equivalence i.e. you already carry a phone, everyone knows your location, you already have ID, everyone already knows your name, you live in a house, everyone already knows bleah bleah bleah.

State surveillance is creepy and wrong. Whatever exists is too much and adding more is sickening. Any excuse for it is just an excuse.

That's it.

newornotnew · 26/04/2026 09:13

Rostio · 26/04/2026 09:11

Literally no need for that. We can’t even manage to have national ID cards, how exactly would a universal DNA library work?

Well, I am pro ID cards. There is already a national DNA database. I remember once at Leeds station they were paying people £10 to contribute their DNA.

Have you seen what's happened to the Biobank data?

Bikenutz · 26/04/2026 09:16

Routine surveillance is used by fascist regimes to establish, maintain, and normalise control over society. Surveillance enables fascist power by suppressing dissent, enforcing conformity, and cultivating fear.

Rostio · 26/04/2026 09:16

Your point re people uploading videos - it's their own choice to do that. Big difference. Not to the point of our ancestors making biographies of us without our permission I don't think.

OP posts:
EasternStandard · 26/04/2026 09:17

Bikenutz · 26/04/2026 09:16

Routine surveillance is used by fascist regimes to establish, maintain, and normalise control over society. Surveillance enables fascist power by suppressing dissent, enforcing conformity, and cultivating fear.

Yes this

ThatFairy · 26/04/2026 09:17

Yes it's true most people do post videos and pictures of themselves online but a minority of us don't and the choice for privacy should be there. Only three pictures of me exist, and they're physical photos

Rostio · 26/04/2026 09:18

Routine surveillance is used by fascist regimes to establish, maintain, and normalise control over society. Surveillance enables fascist power by suppressing dissent, enforcing conformity, and cultivating fear.

That sounds like it was taken from AI.

But I agree, the strongest argument for me is that whilst I might be comfortable with the current government having this data on me, who is to say what future governments would find lawful or unlawful.

OP posts: