I did want to find out what exactly happens to someone’s DNA when they send it to one of these companies, and more importantly, if getting a sample back from them is possible.
DNA testing isn’t an exact science
I wanted to understand what was happening with my actual genetic information.
I had chosen to “biobank” my sample in case I desired further testing,
one of the concerns about 23andMe, as well as other DNA testing services like Ancestry and My Heritage, is that they’re not the ones directly processing your sample.
Winston says that when it comes to arbitration, 23andMe goes a bit further than other companies in that there’s a “fee-shifting provision,”
basically all of these companies work with pharmaceutical companies in one way or another
my DNA has been sold to them if I consented to take part in their research
they’re creating a mass database of information that they can now monetize by selling it to pharmaceutical companies
“Clearly, their goal is to acquire this information for medical and pharmaceutical purposes.”
While they do send aggregated data, there have been cases where individual data has proven to be useful to big companies.
if they receive an actual warrant, he doesn’t see how they could refuse
While life insurance companies can’t get that data yet, Winston says that they can ask if you’ve taken any such test, which might tell them if you’re predisposed to breast cancer or something like that.
their terms of service, also known as their verbal chloroform.
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