US Intel Committee Member Warns DNA Testing Kits Could Lead To Targeted Bioweapons
Two members of Congressional intelligence committees have warned Americans that information gathered from DNA testing kits such as 23andMe, as well as those used in agriculture, could be used to develop bioweapons targeting specific groups of Americans or even individuals.
Speaking on Friday at the Aspen Security Forum, Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, warned that Americans are too trusting with their DNA in the hands of private companies.
"There are now weapons under development, and developed, that are designed to target specific people," said Crow, a former Army Ranger.
"You can't have a discussion about this without talking about privacy and the protection of commercial data because expectations of privacy have degraded over the last 20 years," he added. "Young folks actually have very little expectation of privacy, that's what the polling and the data show."
"That's what this is, where you can actually take someone's DNA, you know, their medical profile, and you can target a biological weapon that will kill that person or take them off the battlefield or make them inoperable."
"People will very rapidly spit into a cup and send it to 23andMe and get really interesting data about their background," he continued, Fox News reports.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, expanded on that, adding that US adversaries could use the same technology to attack US food security - targeting livestock and crops to induce famine.
"If we look at food security and what can our adversaries do with biological weapons that are directed at our animal agriculture, at our agricultural sector ... highly pathogenic avian influenza, African swine fever," she said, adding: "All of these things have circulated around the globe, but if targeted by an adversary, we know that it brings about food insecurity. Food insecurity drives a lot of other insecurities around the globe."
"What can our adversaries do with biological weapons that are directed at our agricultural sector?" she asked.
In November, the LA County Sheriff's department notified the LA County Board of Supervisors that LASD will not work with a China-linked genetics firm hired by the county to conduct Covid-19 testing and registration, after the FBI shared "very concerning information" about Fulgent Genetics Corporation - which was awarded a no-bid contract for the work.
"This letter is to inform you the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (Department) will not participate in COVID-19 registering or testing with Fulgent Genetics Corporation (Fulgent), due to the fact the DNA data obtained is not guaranteed to be safe and secure from foreign governments and "will likely be shared with the Republic of China,"" wrote Sheriff Alex Villanueva in a Monday letter.
Of note, China's ambitions to build the world's largest DNA database are no secret to anyone listening to Kyle Bass or the Wall Street Journal.
One month later, the Biden administration blacklisted 12 Chinese biotech institutions involved in mass DNA collection technology and surveiolance.
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