CONTINUING COVERAGE: Newborn DNA Privacy Concerns

As we first exposed more than a decade ago, the California Department of Public Health has been storing and selling DNA samples from every baby born here since the '80s -- without asking for consent. California law says genetic testing companies must get your permission before they store, use, or sell your DNA. But California state agencies are exempt. Researchers and law enforcement can and do use those DNA samples. However, last year, the California Department of Public Health suddenly began refusing to disclose who is using the DNA and what it is being used for. Lawmakers who want to change that have faced a decade-long uphill battle. This is a composite of some of our coverage in 2024. The reporting continues in 2025.