Several years back now, one of my colleagues was very much into the genealogy thing. She had major problems I think with needing to find herself or where she fit in or whatever. She was very much pushing me to try one of the DNA genealogy testing services and I had to be very firm about not wanting to participate in it.
This is why. My sense of self has never been in question and I don’t need to attribute who or what I am to some people I’ve never met or culture I haven’t participated in or been a part of. I have been considered “other” my whole life by in groups who only wanted me to identify with the bits and pieces of my culture or personality that they approved of and I pretty much had to get over that at a young age in order to not feel inadequate or content with myself.
As a result these always seemed like services that over promise and under deliver and they ask for way more privileged information than I am comfortable with giving away to anyone (I was skeptical when my doctor wanted me to participate in cancer screening via DNA testing because the only angle I could see for wanting it that would be profitable to an insurance firm was to deny me coverage later). Every time something hits the media about a leak or mismanagement of customer data, I am vindicated in my belief that it’s not worth the price of admission.
I also don’t trust these. There is very little regulation and protection. Case in point.
The people with access to their private data includes 23 and everyone else.
Who does ancestry.com get to run their sequencing? Because I have a number of relatives who did that. I don’t think it’s 23andme.
Everyone gets to run sequencing, but this post is about 23andme nearing bankruptcy, where they would run an auction for their records, including this genetic information of its customers.
Yeah; my point is: if 23andme is liquidating, other genetic labs likely aren’t too far behind, and I’d like some warning there too… especially since I have to convince other people to delete their data.
Not how or works, 23andMe uses Labcorp.
Thank you for sharing.
Well I’m glad I downloaded all my genome data and deleted it a few months ago. It was easy to do, there’s no excuse not to.
