Genealogy company 23 and me selling your DNA and not to just anybody

I don't know what to say but this is bad news.

On Wednesday, DNA-testing kit company 23andMe, announced a new partnership with drug giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). GSK gets exclusive access to 23andMe’s troves of customer data — which it plans to use to develop a whole host of new drugs — and 23andMe gets a $300 million dollar investment. The company was quick to clarify that 23andMe customers had the option to opt-in or out of sharing their genetic information for research purposes, stating that “As always, customers choose whether or not to participate in research. Customers can choose to opt-in or opt-out at any time.” But a look at the company’s policies reveals that things aren’t that simple. It’s the same confusing mess of provisions every company uses to gloss over the rights people are signing away to their own personal information. But unlike most privacy policies, the information at stake isn’t something as unimportant as your midnight browsing habits or Facebook likes — it’s DNA.

theoutline.com...

Popular genetics-testing company 23andMe is partnering with drug giant GlaxoSmithKline to use people's DNA to develop medical treatments, the company announced in a blog post yesterday (July 25). During the four-year collaboration, the London-based GlaxoSmithKline will use 23andMe's genetic database to zero in on possible targets and treatments for human disease. "The goal of the collaboration is to gather insights and discover novel drug targets driving disease progression and develop therapies," GlaxoSmithKline said in yesterday's statement, where it also reported it was investing $300 million in 23andMe. [How Do DNA Ancestry Tests Really Work?]

www.livescience.com...

Does anyone else think this is a bad omen?

a reply to: Aallanon

No surprise here.... Just surprised they finally told us.

a reply to: CriticalStinker

And that is what they "told us" if you get my meaning. Seems to me this has military applications

originally posted by: Aallanon
a reply to: CriticalStinker

And that is what they "told us" if you get my meaning. Seems to me this has military applications

It goes without saying they have massive amounts of very diverse specimens here in the states....

But I wanted to say it.

a reply to: Aallanon

I don't know what to say but this is bad news.

Why do you think that?

a reply to: scraedtosleep

History.

a reply to: scraedtosleep

Do you think it's a good idea? If so why?

From their web site:

How is my privacy protected?

You choose how your genetic information is used and shared with others. We tell you how those choices are implemented and how we collect, use and disclose your information.

We will not share your individual-level information with any third party without your explicit consent
We support the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) and other similar laws that protect individuals from being discriminated against based on their genetics and will not provide your information or results to employers or health insurance companies
We have guidelines and policies in place to protect the personal information of children as well as incapacitated or deceased individuals
We do not provide information to law enforcement unless we are required to comply with a valid subpoena or a court-ordered request

Source

a reply to: schuyler

Thanks for that.

a reply to: Aallanon

OMG no.

Just no.

No.
No.
No.


That being said, if you sign up for DISH or Direct TV or if you open a banking account, they probably have some stupid clause in there to give away your DNA or to donate your liver to some alien race.


If there's a way to get out of it, trust me, a lawyer has already looked at it and has found a way to get you regardless.

It doesn't even surprise me now they can get us to pay to give away our DNA.
People have completely lost the concept of privacy.

They told me I was 2% Neanderthal.

originally posted by: scraedtosleep
a reply to: Aallanon

I don't know what to say but this is bad news.

Why do you think that?

Why do you trust anyone with vast amounts of genetic data?

Keep in mind the more people that have them, the more susceptible they are to data breaches.

a reply to: Aallanon

You might want to look up the number 23 and see what it means to the likes of skull and bones and other mystery schools.

rabbit hole time....

a reply to: olaru12

I am aware. I never made the connection with the name of the company. Thanks.

originally posted by: Aallanon
Seems to me this has military applications

I suppose that somewhere in some lab nefarious folks are designing bombs or gasses that will only kill people who have (or don't have) certain genetic markers in their DNA. Kind of like the way Monsanto's Round-Up kills grasses, but not corn - which is a type of grass - that they have genetically modified not to be affected by it.

Of course, something will go haywire, and they'll end up killing way more people than they intended, but hey... every once in a while humanity needs a fresh start.

a reply to: Aallanon

The only weird thing about this is if people are surprised. Of course they are selling the DNA.

Hmm, a private company wants to do controversial things with personally identifying information? You don't say. Clearly I am shocked, just not at the companies. Their behavior is a given. What is shocking is that five years after some spy officially confirmed that all governments of the world are storing as much specific information about individuals for other than righteous deeds to the entire globes human population, that humans still willingly divulge everything about them to the world and even pay for it to give them your most intimate information of all, the code that makes your simulation exist you.

Whatever, its fun being the wolf among the sheep. Most of them do not even realize they are my prey.

a reply to: olaru12

*snort*

Ok, I get how scary this sounds to most of us, but humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes. That is *probably* what the company name is referencing.

I had a DNA test done with one of the other services.

They made it very clear, in multiple precise, explicit opt-ins, what you can choose to have done with your DNA. You can opt-out of each different use. It sounds like 23 and me does the same thing.

Each use stipulates that the person will not be personally identifiable.

Some choices included research, etc. I believe that some people might be generous and want to contribute to health research. It could lead to cures for some serious hereditary conditions.