The worst thing is I’ve never consented to them having my DNA but they have half of it anyway thanks to my brother…
DNA might contain health information, but unlike a doctor’s office, 23andMe is not bound by the health-privacy law HIPAA. And the company’s privacy policies make clear that in the event of a merger or an acquisition, customer information is a salable asset. 23andMe promises to ask its customers’ permission before using their data for research or targeted advertising, but that doesn’t mean the next boss will do the same. It says so right there in the fine print: The company reserves the right to update its policies at any time. A spokesperson acknowledged to me this week that the company can’t fully guarantee the sanctity of customer data, but said in a statement that “any scenario which impacts our customer’s data would need to be carefully considered. We take the privacy and trust of our customers very seriously, and would strive to maintain commitments outlined in our Privacy Statement.”
We take it very seriously, just not as seriously as money.
23 Data Miners and Me.
I’m still glad I did.
Lead me to finding my biological family.
And as far as side effects go, there’s not much they can use it for that will bother me.
This whole “meh I don’t care about privacy, take my data” attitude among younger generations is going to cause us SO MANY PROBLEMS in 20 years.
And what are these problems you foresee?
Being denied medical insurance because you have a genetic predisposition for certain diseases.
New government comes into power, decides homosexuality is illegal. Digs into your post history, finds your comments supporting homosexuality, you go to prison.
Someone takes a bunch of photos of you, uses AI to create a lifelike video of you doing a lewd sex act, and then blackmails you with it.
Identity theft cases go through the roof.
Employers refuse to hire you because of an argument you had on facebook when you were 14.
You’re really REALLY craving ice cream. Predictive algorithms knew you would be craving ice cream right now. So your personal price for ice cream at every store is now 3x what it usually is.
You call in sick to work, but actually go to visit a sick friend. Your car reports your location to your boss, and you’re fired.
