Are DNA test sites safe?

Posted 1/2/19

Did you get an AncestryDNA, 23andme, or other DNA kit for Christmas? At home DNA testing kits are now available for your pets. For those who want to know more about their family medical and lineage …

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Are DNA test sites safe?

Posted

Did you get an AncestryDNA, 23andme, or other DNA kit for Christmas? At home DNA testing kits are now available for your pets. For those who want to know more about their family medical and lineage history the kits seem like a no-brainer, but are there risks?
Remember, in addition to collecting DNA samples these services ask questions. Sites like Ancestry send emails to collect additional information after you’ve sent your original samples. They do this to improve their database and the services you’re paying for. 
Did you know DNA test sites have blanket statements in their privacy policies which allow them to sell your aggregate information? They claim they sell the compiled data to “...initiate research” and “send you marketing emails” among other uses.
Who would buy your information? Big pharmaceutical companies. They can use it to develop new drugs. It can help those who suffer from illnesses, true. But is it overreaching to pad the bottom line of these large corporations? That’s up to you.
Another possible use for DNA testing samples involves law enforcement. They caught the Golden State Killer in April of 2018 with the help of a DNA testing site. Investigators submitted a sample obtained from an old crime scene. Once they had information on a few distant genetic relatives of the killer, they worked backward. Eventually they matched the old DNA with new samples collected from his home and vehicle.
Is the average person at risk of conviction for decades-old cold cases? No, but for those who hold their privacy dear, it’s worth thinking twice.

tech talk, dna, dna test, dna kit

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