Star Trek: 10 Most Evil Things Starfleet Has Ever Done
1. Claiming Commander Data As Property To Experiment On Him
In the TNG episode, Measure of a Man, we're introduced to Commander Bruce Maddox, a cyberneticist. Maddox wants to recreate the positronic brain of Lieutenant Commander Data, Starfleet's only android officer. A noble goal, no doubt, but, to do this, Maddox asks to dismantle Data and backup his memory on a computer.
Data objects to the procedure citing the very real possibility that it would kill him. But Maddox is not a man who takes no for an answer. He asks Starfleet Command to order that Data undergo the experiment.
And they do! What’s worse, when Data resigns from Starfleet they refuse his request, effectively stating, "we found you and thus we own you." By claiming ownership of a sentient being Starfleet is tacitly endorsing slavery.
Except for his two brothers, Lore and B4, Data is the only living android of his kind. He epitomizes the "new life" that Starfleet claims to be searching for, but, Starfleet is apparently fine ignoring that if it means they can get their hands on some fancy new tech. Or, their very own race of cybernetic slaves.
And if they can recreate Data they will have an entire race of people who have no rights under Federation law and who live only to serve, as property.
And from what we've seen in Picard - thanks to a race of synthetic workers on Mars - this dark future has come to pass.
Shame on you Starfleet.