Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002

Privacy and security risks with genetic tests like 23andMe, Ancestry

Business Insider – After you spit into a tube for a DNA test like 23andMe, experts say you shouldn’t assume your data will stay private forever

  • “It may be getting easier to link your private and anonymized DNA data to your identity.
  • That means the genetic data you share with a testing company — which may include sensitive health information like your risk of cancer — could one day be matched with your name by an unintended party.
  • While some at-home DNA tests like 23andMe have privacy protocols to protect against this, they’re not a guarantee, experts say. Other companies have fewer safeguards.
  • One key issue is the ability for users to upload their private DNA data to publicly-accessible genetic databases like the one used in the Golden State Killer case…” [h/t Pete Weiss]

Sorry, comments are closed for this post.