14 ms·

While this list isn't the best and some reasons are a bit silly, I'm happy to see more content that helps inform regular users about the downsides of these prac

by ve55 7y ago

While this list isn't the best and some reasons are a bit silly, I'm happy to see more content that helps inform regular users about the downsides of these practices. Paying to give a company your DNA is absurd. As I stated on this two weeks ago: I will be waiting until I can analyze my DNA myself, without handing it over to a company that is going to do whatever it wants to with it. We are not yet able to fully appreciate how valuable DNA is, and yet everyone seems delighted to pay companies to take it from them. Perhaps they will be less delighted when they are convicted of a crime based off of a false positive, have their DNA shared with Facebook to Improve Their User Experience ™, or have their DNA made public after yet another security breach where it is left on an unsecured server. Remember that your DNA is very valuable, literally. Those who have noticed recent progress in genomics should realize how valuable it would be to a competent advertising company, allowing them to profile and predict users with significantly higher personal accuracy, even if all they are doing is performing basic GWASs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genome-wide_association_study https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genome-wide_association_study).

Real_S 7y ago
Genetic information is probably the most valuable information about you. Your fears are well founded, but the threat matrix is growing and the sci-fi-like threats around genetic data that we will face in 10, 20, 30 years can only be imagined. For that reason, my company seeks to apply cryptography to DNA molecules. This helps avoid insider threats and hardware backdoors. We hope that our tech will be used by multiple service providers to allow you to have complete control over your genetic data security. More info at geneinfosec.com
breck 7y ago
This is analogous to the 1800s when people disagreed over whether one should let a camera take your photo. It’s an interesting debate. However, if sequencing prices and mobility (see oxford nanopore) continue to advance at current rates, in 30 years your DNA could be sequenced thousands+ of times a day, everywhere you go in public, akin to how you are photographed now with security cameras, in the background of selfies, et cetera. In that sense because of abundance there’s 0 value in our DNA. From an engineering standpoint it’s going to happen and there’s nothing you can do about it.

by ve55 7y ago

Real_S 7y ago

Genetic information is probably the most valuable information about you. Your fears are well founded, but the threat matrix is growing and the sci-fi-like threats around genetic data that we will face in 10, 20, 30 years can only be imagined. For that reason, my company seeks to apply cryptography to DNA molecules. This helps avoid insider threats and hardware backdoors. We hope that our tech will be used by multiple service providers to allow you to have complete control over your genetic data security. More info at geneinfosec.com

breck 7y ago

This is analogous to the 1800s when people disagreed over whether one should let a camera take your photo. It’s an interesting debate. However, if sequencing prices and mobility (see oxford nanopore) continue to advance at current rates, in 30 years your DNA could be sequenced thousands+ of times a day, everywhere you go in public, akin to how you are photographed now with security cameras, in the background of selfies, et cetera. In that sense because of abundance there’s 0 value in our DNA. From an engineering standpoint it’s going to happen and there’s nothing you can do about it.