Affected for good or for evil: The formation of issue-publics that relate to the UK National DNA Database

Abstract

The United Kingdom has a long tradition of collecting and storing DNA data for criminal identification purposes. The development of the UK National Criminal Intelligence DNA Database has been accompanied by public controversies. Building on recent developments in Science and Technology Studies on public engagement, we elaborate on the concept of emergent and co-produced issue-publics. We explore which different types of issues affect and mobilize publics along the historical development of the National Criminal Intelligence DNA Database, and how publics take shape alongside the institutionalization of regulatory and governance solutions. We identify three related issue-publics: a ‘biological citizen issue-public’ concerned with human and civil rights regarding the collection of biological material; a ‘watchdog issue-public’ that emerges to identify the problems surrounding a lack of civic accountability; and a ‘co-decision making issue-public’, including the stakeholders who advise on decisions relating to the database.