Should I worry about giving my DNA to labs that do genetic tests?

Should I worry about giving my DNA to labs that do genetic tests?

With a June 2022 update from The Conversation

The internet has made DNA testing a big global business. In the United States and Europe, millions of people have sent samples of their saliva to commercial labs in the hopes of learning something new about their personal health or lineage. Ancestry.com, 23andMe, MyHeritage, and FamilyTreeDNA are all industry leaders that sell their services online, share test results on websites, and even provide guides on how to find relatives in phone directories or share results on social media. They frequently claim ownership of your genetic information and sell access to their databases to large pharmaceutical and medical technology firms.

It's part of a troubling trend of corporations acquiring personal data about people and acting in their own best interests, not yours, in terms of internet health. So, test results can lead to crucial discoveries about your personal health, and they can also be shared for public-interest scientific research. But, before you give in to your curiosity, consider the following 23 reasons to keep your DNA private — one for each pair of chromosomes in a human cell. 

Subjective: Consumers appear to be content passing on their personal information to firms who aggregate and monetize it in the age of Facebook and Google. Consumers are increasingly paying to hand over their genetic code, their most sensitive individual identity, to DNA testing companies that monetize it in new ways.

Objective: A strong case is made for consumers to be aware of, if not extremely cautious when submitting their DNA to any consumer-facing genetic testing companies. Examples of potential issues include risks related to the potential of having such large genetic databases hacked, secondary use of consumer data, the accuracy of testing results, and open questions as to what happens when these types of companies are sold or reorganized in terms of consumer rights. A recent study published in PLoS ONE identified that many people are not overly concerned about exposure of their DNA data, but are distrustful of for-profit entities trying to use their information for profit. Recent articles outlined in the links below identify that genetic data is being used for pharmacy-related immunocology research. This is not necessarily bad, in fact, it could be great, but it is still important to understand the downstream use of your data.

Assessment: We do not yet fully understand the implications of having one's genetic information compromised. At the very least it is one of the most unique personal identifiers out there. Does that mean that these consumer DNA testing companies necessarily have bad intentions? Of course not, but this is a relatively new field and so it is important for us as consumers to be very well-informed, before providing informed consent. The McClatchy article makes the important point that “Ancestry.com customers should also know they’re giving up the genetic privacy of themselves and their relatives.”

Plan:

  1. Take the time to read the full McClatchy article. It provides a good outline of potential concerns with sharing your DNA profile.
  2. As suggested, before sending off your spit sample, be sure to read and understand Ancestry's entire privacy statement.
  3. Talk to your family about it. This affects them as well.
  4. Save any privacy and consent forms that you agree to in a safe place so that you have a copy of the terms at that time. Be sure to include the date in which they were signed.
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How to Protect Your Privacy as More Apps Harvest Your Data

A New York Times Personal Tech series article by Brian X. Chen

Retrieved By Health eConsultation 0 13940 Article rating: 5.0

In this article written by Brian X. Chen from the New York Times he discusses some of the potential ways in which mobile apps that you download to your phone may be collecting and using your personal data in ways you did not know.

One of the key takeaways is that there are ways in which to protect yourself and tools that can help you figure out which apps are collecting your data and how to remove their ability to do so.

Stay Private: How to Hide Your Webcam, Mute Your Mic, and Turn Off Notifications

An article from Zapier

Nathan E Botts 0 13824 Article rating: 5.0

One consideration as you gather and store more personal health information on your computer and devices is making sure that you are not inadvertently sharing this information (or some other aspect of your personal health) through your webcam or mic.

This article from Zapier outlines several different ways and some handy applications that can help you control this on your PC or MAC.

Determining the Value of Compromising Your Privacy

An article from Engadget

Nathan E Botts 0 9469 Article rating: No rating

This article from the Engadget web magazine discusses how your online searching behaviors might be monitored by different companies that you are unaware about. This data is likely used to build profiles that may impact the advertisements you see, credit ratings received, and other potential social network aspects as of yet identified. 

Cybersecurity: Crash Course Computer Science #31

Retrieved By Health eConsultation 0 13785 Article rating: No rating

Cybersecurity: Crash Course Computer Science #31Cybersecurity is a set of techniques to protect the secrecy, integrity, and availability of computer systems and data against threats. In today’s episode, we’re going to unpack these three goals and talk through some strategies we use like passwords, biometrics, and access privileges to keep our information as secure, but also as accessible as possible. From massive Denial of Service, or DDos attacks, to malware and brute force password cracking there are a lot of ways for hackers to gain access to your data, so we’ll also discuss some strategies like creating strong passwords, and using 2-factor authentication, to keep your information safe. Check out Computerphile’s wonderful video on how to choose a password! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NjQ9b3pgIg Pre-order our limited edition Crash Course: Computer Science Floppy Disk Coasters here! https://store.dftba.com/products/computer-science-coasters Produced in collaboration with PBS Digital Studios: http://youtube.com/pbsdigitalstudios Want to know more about Carrie Anne? https://about.me/carrieannephilbin The Latest from PBS Digital Studios: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1mtdjDVOoOqJzeaJAV15Tq0tZ1vKj7ZV Want to find Crash Course elsewhere on the internet? Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/YouTubeCrash... Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/TheCrashCourse Tumblr - http://thecrashcourse.tumblr.com Support Crash Course on Patreon: http://patreon.com/crashcourse CC Kids: http://www.youtube.com/crashcoursekids

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What is Health eDefense?

Health eDefense is dedicated to providing consumers with actionable information on how to protect their personal health information effectively from cyber threats. Health eDefense provides informational content and education related to cyber security, privacy and consent, security, and related topics and policies such as HIPAA and GDPR.

Cyber security is impacting our daily lives and our personal and protected health information is a target for hackers and criminals looking to make money off of our personal data. Your personal health data will always be about your health, demographics, social, lifestyle, financial history, and other related details. Once taken they cannot be taken back.

We think the best cybersecurity tool is education and awareness and we hope to provide users with tools and insight to better protect themselves and their data.