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Artist’s Genetic Privacy Spray Will Erase Your Left-Behind DNA Samples


May 5, 2014 | Marina Galperina

“You wouldn’t leave your medical records on the subway for just anyone to read,” writes artist and founder of BioGenFutures Heather Dewey-Hagborg writes on her new site. “You should be in control of how you share your information and with whom: be it your email, your phone calls, your SMS messages, and certainly your genes.”

Last year, we wrote about her project Stranger Visions — a series of 3d-printed sculptural portraits of strangers based on their DNA, which the artist extracted from hair follicles and cigarette butts left behind on sidewalks and in public bathrooms. It was theoretically invasive, but today’s surveillance practices pose a very real threat to our genetic privacy. But now… there’s a solution?

Dewey-Hagborg’s product is a set of two preventative sprays.

Don’t be tracked, analyzed or cloned

Erase deletes 99.5% of DNA left behind
Replace obfuscates the remaining .5%

Those thinking about purchasing this product should know it will be “available” for $90 this June.