4 ms·

What privacy intrusion are you worried about exactly? I'd be more worried about how accurate the actual results are and whether that inaccuracy is worth the mon

What privacy intrusion are you worried about exactly? I'd be more worried about how accurate the actual results are and whether that inaccuracy is worth the money.

smilesnd 8y ago
It makes it simpler for police and three letter agencies to gain access to your dna without needing to go through proper channels. It is how that famous serial killer/rapist got caught on a 30 year old cold case. I know the response is "Well I ani't killing/raping so it doesn't matter." A lot of people have been sent to jail on false positives on dna results. It takes to much time to actually compare a large chunk of dna so they select certain parts to compare it to and if you fall into the unlucky percentage then you are screwed.
- oceanghost 8y ago
  You're entirely correct about the three letter agencies. HOWEVER If any of your family members have done a test like this, the cat is already out of the bag. My parents have done genetic tests, as have several of my cousins. So in effect, my DNA is already on file.
  - monocasa 8y ago
    And that's how the got the serial killer, from his family's genetics, not his direct samples.
  - smilesnd 8y ago
    I feel like you are informing me I need to make all my family just disappear to safe guard myself >.>
- waserwill 8y ago
  Which is silly, since comparing two individuals is very quick; when you get a hit for a subset, you can just do a one-to-one comparison to check.
  - smilesnd 8y ago
    True, but labs are backed up. There are thousands of rape kits sitting some where just waiting to be tested. Plus most people, police, lawyers, and etc don't understand how DNA comparison works. You will even hear in court that DNA match 96.8% instead of 100%, because that is what the lab said. People prefer ignorance so they look like they understand then to question what that percentage actually means.
- hex1848 8y ago
  At this point if anyone in your family (including cousins) submit dna to one of those sites, they can use it to track it back to you with basic sleuthing skills. They've solved a handful of cold cases this way.
monocasa 8y ago
We've seen police using this information without warrants. Of course, we've also seen them reconstructing likely genetics from family members on these sites, so it doesn't really matter whether you personally opt in or not.
casper345 8y ago
They have my DNA in their system. A lot of rich information for companies to seel that to with that, no?
- toomuchtodo 8y ago
  The value is in the aggregate dataset, not single genotypings. If anyone is interested in a 23andme $40 settlement coupon from a class action I was part of, email me (email in profile), and I will provide a coupon code (I have three available). Disclaimer: 23andme customer, genome is public as part of Harvard’s Personal Genome Project
  - JauntTrooper 8y ago
    What about 40 years from now?
    - toomuchtodo 8y ago
      I refuse to be paralyzed by a future so distant it's opaque. I'll be in my 70s at that point, and either dead, head in a jar, or living on Mars. My genetic data may help people today, and that is what matters most to me. EDIT: @monocasa: The future is what we make of it. jstarfish: As a parent, I have to make what I consider to be the best choices for them until they're able to make their own choices. As an educated parent, I believe I made the appropriate choice. Everyone's DNA will be sequences eventually.
      - monocasa 8y ago
        By the time we're in our 70s, we'll probably not even have retired. : \
      - jstarfish 8y ago
        You're selling out your kids for the sake of irrelevant novelty though. You're taking away any choice they have to abstain from being part of the system.
sliken 8y ago
https://www.businessinsider.com/dna-testing-delete-your-data-23andme-ancestry-2018-7 https://www.businessinsider.com/dna-testing-delete-your-data... Seems kind of scary to me. What happens if I'm denied insurance, or a job because of some risk factor I have. Or even my kids? Or even discover a way to make an drug even more addictive.
- blacksmith_tb 8y ago
  There are federal and state laws in the US which prevent health insurers from denying you based on your DNA test, but that isn't true for life insurance[1]. 1: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/04/4--risks-consumer-face-with-dna-testing-and-buying-life-insurance.html https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/04/4--risks-consumer-face-with-...
cascom 8y ago
Potential discrimination or other adverse consequences (insurability, hiring, etc.) down the road (3,5,15 years from now) based upon the results.
0xfeeddeadbeef 8y ago
I am surprised nobody has referenced "Gattaca" (1997) yet.

What privacy intrusion are you worried about exactly? I'd be more worried about how accurate the actual results are and whether that inaccuracy is worth the money.

smilesnd 8y ago

It makes it simpler for police and three letter agencies to gain access to your dna without needing to go through proper channels. It is how that famous serial killer/rapist got caught on a 30 year old cold case. I know the response is "Well I ani't killing/raping so it doesn't matter." A lot of people have been sent to jail on false positives on dna results. It takes to much time to actually compare a large chunk of dna so they select certain parts to compare it to and if you fall into the unlucky percentage then you are screwed.

oceanghost 8y ago
You're entirely correct about the three letter agencies. HOWEVER If any of your family members have done a test like this, the cat is already out of the bag. My parents have done genetic tests, as have several of my cousins. So in effect, my DNA is already on file.
- monocasa 8y ago
  And that's how the got the serial killer, from his family's genetics, not his direct samples.
- smilesnd 8y ago
  I feel like you are informing me I need to make all my family just disappear to safe guard myself >.>
waserwill 8y ago
Which is silly, since comparing two individuals is very quick; when you get a hit for a subset, you can just do a one-to-one comparison to check.
- smilesnd 8y ago
  True, but labs are backed up. There are thousands of rape kits sitting some where just waiting to be tested. Plus most people, police, lawyers, and etc don't understand how DNA comparison works. You will even hear in court that DNA match 96.8% instead of 100%, because that is what the lab said. People prefer ignorance so they look like they understand then to question what that percentage actually means.
hex1848 8y ago
At this point if anyone in your family (including cousins) submit dna to one of those sites, they can use it to track it back to you with basic sleuthing skills. They've solved a handful of cold cases this way.

monocasa 8y ago

We've seen police using this information without warrants. Of course, we've also seen them reconstructing likely genetics from family members on these sites, so it doesn't really matter whether you personally opt in or not.

casper345 8y ago

They have my DNA in their system. A lot of rich information for companies to seel that to with that, no?

toomuchtodo 8y ago
The value is in the aggregate dataset, not single genotypings. If anyone is interested in a 23andme $40 settlement coupon from a class action I was part of, email me (email in profile), and I will provide a coupon code (I have three available). Disclaimer: 23andme customer, genome is public as part of Harvard’s Personal Genome Project
- JauntTrooper 8y ago
  What about 40 years from now?
  - toomuchtodo 8y ago
    I refuse to be paralyzed by a future so distant it's opaque. I'll be in my 70s at that point, and either dead, head in a jar, or living on Mars. My genetic data may help people today, and that is what matters most to me. EDIT: @monocasa: The future is what we make of it. jstarfish: As a parent, I have to make what I consider to be the best choices for them until they're able to make their own choices. As an educated parent, I believe I made the appropriate choice. Everyone's DNA will be sequences eventually.
    - monocasa 8y ago
      By the time we're in our 70s, we'll probably not even have retired. : \
    - jstarfish 8y ago
      You're selling out your kids for the sake of irrelevant novelty though. You're taking away any choice they have to abstain from being part of the system.

sliken 8y ago

https://www.businessinsider.com/dna-testing-delete-your-data-23andme-ancestry-2018-7 https://www.businessinsider.com/dna-testing-delete-your-data... Seems kind of scary to me. What happens if I'm denied insurance, or a job because of some risk factor I have. Or even my kids? Or even discover a way to make an drug even more addictive.

blacksmith_tb 8y ago
There are federal and state laws in the US which prevent health insurers from denying you based on your DNA test, but that isn't true for life insurance[1]. 1: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/04/4--risks-consumer-face-with-dna-testing-and-buying-life-insurance.html https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/04/4--risks-consumer-face-with-...

cascom 8y ago

Potential discrimination or other adverse consequences (insurability, hiring, etc.) down the road (3,5,15 years from now) based upon the results.

0xfeeddeadbeef 8y ago

I am surprised nobody has referenced "Gattaca" (1997) yet.