I'm concerned about the privacy implications of DNA testing services like 23andMe or AncestryDNA. What are the potential risks of sharing our genetic data with those companies, and are there any privacy-focused alternatives available?

  • neidu2@feddit.nl
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    edit-2
    8 months ago

    I can easily imagine a reality where insurance companies have access (intentionally or accidentally) and give you a higher premium because they found something that makes you more predisposed to some ailment.

    The above is pure speculation, but it's only one security breach or bag of money away. It's never safe to assume that a your data is 100% secure at a (presumably) benign company. As curious as I am regarding certain aspects of my heritage, the fact that I have no control over what they do with the info is keeping me on the bench.

    • ƊƲƘЄƬӇƠƦƖƠƝ@lemmy.one
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      8 months ago

      100% this. They already got caught sharing your health data with Facebook. Don't think they (insurance companies)won't buy DNA data en masse.

    • exanime@lemmy.today
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      8 months ago

      Insurance companies already extrapolate such data from zip code.... So it's not speculation at all that they'd want an even more accurate metric

      Basically in today's world, you'd have less than 1% of actors that would take this data and do something productive or beneficial for you or society as a whole... The other 99% will just use this data to make money on the back of others