[RocketOne]

I'd go all in on the most nefarious - hacked data could be used to design a virus that only kills people with one particular genetic trait.

I'm pretty sure there's an uber dystopian horror movie in there somewhere.

[Centigonal]

There's a dystopian sci-fi tactical espionage action game (from 1998!) that features exactly this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTjI2LV0Tus&t=56

[RocketOne]

Ah. Its nice to know my worst nightmare has already been in a video game from 25 years ago. I guess I'll just go outside and stare at squirrels for awhile.

[heavyset_go]

This isn't even dystopian sci-fi, nations already investigate bioweapons that are designed to target only certain racial groups.

[dekhn]

Do you have a credible source for this claim?

[heavyset_go]

- https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/Dir...

- https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-coming-threat-of-a...

There's also an outline with references here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_bioweapon

[dekhn]

I don't see anything credible there about nation-states currently engaging in this research. I think generally it does not appear to be a productive line of research.

[heavyset_go]

I said "investigate", and all of the links are about nations investigating such bioweapons.

[alistairSH]

The Silo series of books was based around a similar plot device.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silo_(series)

[maxerickson]

Preventing a database from existing isn't gonna stop people with that capability. If they can make the targeted virus, they can forcefully obtain enough genetic samples from their targets to determine the information they need to do so.

The idea that a small technical road block will protect society from horrors is misguided.

Like it wasn't great for people that were identified in government registers as being in groups that the Nazis targeted, but they would have made up targets just the same of there were no government registers.