23andMe agreed to pay $18 million to settle claims over a 2023 data breach affecting 6.9 million users.
And that is before the lawyers take most of it. Basically zero consequences for breach of DNA sequences, health reports, ethnicity, race, location, etc. Fascists surely won’t use this for anything horrific.
I was very interested in genetic testing when it first came out, and 23andMe, specifically. And I had privacy concerns, so I never had the testing done. I’m so glad I chose as I did, AND I’m still very interested in knowing. All you privacy concerned Lemmiversians, how would you approach gene testing in a way that maintains privacy, at this time?
If a family member has done it, your privacy is already gone.
I had a new sister turn up out of nowhere. I’ve never had any genetic testing.My anonymous sperm donor was found due to his sibling doing a test without knowledge that he had donated. Found out about one of my half-siblings because their child took a test (no clue if the child knew about the parent’s genetic background).
My brother gave my whole family gift cards for 23&Me. Pretty hopeless at that point.
There are hospital/clinic genetic consultations you can do as well. 23 and me is specifically non-diagnostic and for ancestry/tracing. Thats why they have all these loopholes around information protection and whatnot. Genetic counselling is much better regulated/must abide by privacy laws and a healthcare professional can help walk you through your predispositions and risks. source: I did a mini-project on this for my med lab program. There is a pretty shocking gap between clinical genetics and direct to consumer DNA testing, I wouldn’t touch the private industry with a 10 foot pole.
Thank You.
Ask your medical care provider about genetic testing. It’s a lot more affordable these days, and you should get a report on any genetic conditions you might be susceptible to. This keeps the test results within your medical record, with all of the legal protections that apply.
Of course this won’t try to match you up with unknown family members like 23&me, but you can’t really do that and have privacy because it requires broad analysis of all available test results.
I didn’t want to do it, but my wife and parents thought I was being over worried and not fun. and then they bought me a kit even knowing I had reservations. Eventually I gave in and did it just to get the kit off the kitchen table and get them to leave me alone.
Welp.
how would you approach gene testing in a way that maintains privacy, at this time?
Data of just ethnicity or heritage (as in area of family origin) itself already special protected data under EU GDPR, not even allowed store without special permission. Let alone connect with other people.
In germany test for fatherhood is illegal without consent of all party or judge ordering one. So unconsenting gene match for fatherhood probably also illegal.
All in all, probably impossible. This data will ruin more life than the joy it bring to know some random fact about heritage.
I wish I had the forethought then, but I was a teenager/early-adult and wanted to know my ancestry after learning my father is actually my step-father.
Did the test and to be honest, have no clue of its accuracy, my brother is in the same boat and didn’t know his biological father and did the test as well and 23andMe immediately picked us up as brothers.
It’s cool at first but then once you know you’re like, “well that was that” and move on.
They just need about 5 of your third cousins to take the test and they can pin your DNA down
When the legal system neither delivers justice not makes people whole after being harmed, people start getting ideas. Like taking up plumbing
Haha! I’m gonna sabotage their sewer li… Oh you meant the other thing. I’m still onboard.
Maybe I’ll start painting houses? Do some carpets too.
Not Americans. They’re kind of down for this every time.
$2.60andMe 🤣
On 23andme there’s this social media thing, where you can connect to ‘relatives’ like second cousins and so on. I limited my access, only enough to see who used it. My name is just my initials, doesn’t show anything else really.
Enabling strongest privacy settings, and sharing as limited data as possible. If you do use it seems to be the best route. I still think potentially at some point they might actually get compromised and all users.
I’ll get 1 year free credit monitoring, and $10 bucks then. Most Americans are already hacked from the Public National Database thing. Social security numbers, emails, and rest of it.
If it’s any consolation, the CEO is absolutely contrite, and is personally writing out these checks. /s
Is that The Jerk?
23andMe agreed to pay $18 million to settle claims over a 2023 data breach affecting 6.9 million users.
I never understood these settlements. Some asshole lawyers get millions and then the real victims get 2 dollars?
WTF?
How and where is any of this normal? Oh, wait, pet me guess…
They set the amount, the lawyers get 30%, and the remainder gets split among the affected class.
They can’t really set a higher amount because they just plain don’t have that much money. You’d never see that payout.
I’ll accept them doing hard labor for 2,60 an hour
Curious to see what Canadians who participated will get.
Couple of Ricky’s hash coins
$2.60andMe
Don’t spend it all at once
Even the Loch Ness monster got more than that…
