The NDNAD has proved to be a useful tool in the fight against crime. Many people though are worried about how it has evolved from a criminal to a more general database. Today, an increasing number of innocent people live with the stigma of being on a police database along with known criminals. In addition, specific groups such as young people and black men, make up a disproportionate number of those included.

Expansion of the NDNAD to include all the UK population would resolve these problems. It could also change forever the delicate balance between the State's duty to protect the public and an individual's right to privacy.

The permanent storage of DNA profiles and samples is seen as a particular threat. While a DNA profile says very little about someone, their DNA potentially can say everything - including their ethnicity or how susceptible they are to disease.

By law, the DNA profiles and samples should only be used for crime prevention and detection. As the NDNAD becomes more complete, it is likely that there will be more requests to access the bioinformation. Requests may be for purposes for which the data was never intended and for which individual consent almost certainly hasn't been given. Already, familial searching* and some genetic research has been allowed. The sharing of data with international police forces is also set to become easier and more common. Deliberate abuse of the data, for example by criminals, could become a real danger.

*Looking for a partial match when an identical match is not found for a crime scene profile. A partial matches may indicate a close genetic relative of the person who committed the crime.