We’ve all known that Russia is like a controlling girlfriend. Not to be rude, but the country and its government is increasingly restrictive with its citizens. First, Russian officials said that selfies would be dangerous for children’s health. Then, they drafter a new bill that would require every citizen to register their DNA and fingerprint with authorities so that they can have a complete database of every citizen.
While DNA profiling seems to be a bit too much, we can understand why a country would like to have a database of fingerprints. Still, why would anybody want to submit themselves to such a violation of their right to a personal life and privacy? While there hasn’t been any confirmation about the passing of the bill, we do know that it was submitted to Parliament and is pending resolve. Do you think you would agree to a DNA swab and a fingerprint sample that your government would use for whatever purposes they want? Cloning pops into my mind as one of the risks, although that is far fetched. Nonetheless, DNA information from individuals can compromise them, in my opinion.
MPs from the populist nationalist party have submitted the motion to Parliament. The bill requires universal fingerprinting and DNA profiling for all Russian citizens for reasons of security. Putting the biometrical data of every citizen of a country into the hands of its central government is far too much leverage for a government to have over its people. Nonetheless, Roman Khudyakov, the proposer of the bill, believes that a biometric database of all citizens would benefit the citizens more than the state.
According to Khudyakov’s plans, Russians will have to go to a specifically enacted agency under the authority of the Interior Ministry or the Federal Security Service and have their biometric data recorded – for a certain fee. While the fee should be abolished once the bill passes, there is no mention about that in the declarations of the sponsor. Government officials and public service workers would be able to register their DNA and fingerprints with the agency for free. According to Khudyakov, “all information will be protected. It is like a bank card. We will also toughen the criminal responsibility for officials who have access to the data. When people face three years in prison for leaking the data no one would be tempted to do this.”
The official suggested that the DNA and fingerprint data collected from Russian citizens should be held by the government for 150 years, to be destroyed after that time expires. The cards that would be issued for each citizen containing their biometric information would also be kept by the government. DNA and fingerprints of foreigners and tourists would also be recorded and kept by the government, if the bill is passed. While the basic principle of the bill, to create an identification system that would rid of red tape and bureaucracy, is sane and understandable, the provisions of the bill and impact it would have on Russian citizens and foreigners alike is dangerous. What do you think about this bill? Do you think it violates basic human rights or do you think it would be a good idea and would help prevent criminality?