Policy and the Inevitability of Sharing: GINA and Social Media

摘要

In "Protecting Posted Genes: Social Networking and the Limits of GINA," Sandra Lee and Emily Borgelt (2014) present a deep and thoughtful consideration of the challenges of protecting genetic privacy in a digital era dominated by social media. According to Lee and Borgelt, while there is "little doubt that GINA represents a significant advance in protection against discriminatory use of genetic information," "nonetheless, practical issues in the context of social networking and PGI may stymie the enforceability of the statute" (39). Following their analysis, Lee and Borgelt make three policy recommendations to address the limits of GINA: (1) consumer and user education regarding the limits of GINA and the burden of proof in litigation, (2) recognition that all social media may house genetic information, and (3) legislation to limit or prevent employers from requesting access to employees' social media accounts (Lee and Borgelt 2014).