Ancestry.com and other DNA test kits, such as those offered by 23andMe and others, create significant privacy risks and expose long-hidden family secrets. Over 20 million people have shared their DNA with home testing, and investment firm Blackstone acquired genealogical site Ancestry for $4.7 billion. The company claims it has no plans to mine people’s DNA data for profit. A study from UCLA found that when genetic ancestry tests like 23andMe spot mixed ancestry among white supremacists, most respond in three ways to the test.
The FTC and California filed a lawsuit claiming CRI Genetics, a California-based DNA testing company, created misleading websites with fake reviews and ratings claiming their DNA tests were accurate. The personal information of millions of people who sent swabs of their DNA to consumer testing services has been leaked in high profile hacks in recent years. The biggest DNA test agencies like ancestry and MyHeritage are Israelis owners and founders, but in Israel, it is illegal to do DNA tests.
AncestryDNA® tests use a simple saliva sample to test your DNA, and it is perfectly legal in France to take an ancestry DNA test. However, it is forbidden to take a health markers DNA test. The lab processing your DNA doesn’t have access to your name, address, and other contact information. The scientific-seeming results from a home DNA kit are fun, but they are not particularly reliable. Legitimate genetic testing companies promise not to sell or give this data away without consent.
📹 The Dark Side of DNA Testing | Genealogy, Ancestry and My Heritage | America Uncovered
People are using at home DNA testing kits from companies like 23andMe and Ancestry to find out about their past. But law …
Is AncestryDNA biased?
AncestryDNA is praised for its extensive database, but its accuracy in estimating ethnicity from other regions is limited due to the skewness of 75% of its ethnic regions towards European descent. A 2016 study in Nature highlighted bias in scientific genome research. The lack of reference samples from consumers and scientific research in Africa and Asia makes accurate estimates for genetic heritage more prone to error. The genetic diversity within Africa is vast compared to the rest of the world, necessitating larger reference panels.
Different genealogy tests may also show significant differences, as 23AndMe, a competitor, has a more extensive catalogue of East Asian regions than AncestryDNA. This could result in different ethnicity estimates due to differences in databases and algorithms used to calculate DNA.
How true is the AncestryDNA test?
AncestryDNA® is a genetic testing method that uses DNA reading to generate results. The accuracy of the reading is high, with an average accuracy rate of over 99 percent for each marker tested. AncestryDNA® also includes an ethnicity estimate, which is a percentage of how much of your DNA looks like the DNA of people in different parts of the world. This estimate can reflect family history, dating back hundreds or even 1, 000 years.
The process involves collecting DNA from people with a long history in a particular part of the world, known as the reference panel. As of 2023, over 80 different regions represent this group. This helps in determining the accuracy of your ethnicity estimate.
Is AncestryDNA ethical?
DNA is a unique identifier that is essential for documenting identity and verifying biological relationships. However, its imprecision makes it an imprecise tool for assessing genetic ancestry. With fraud being a concern in refugee petitions and asylum claims, relying on scientific evidence can be tempting. Genetic data is difficult to fake, making DNA testing valuable as additional evidence of nationality and empowering displaced persons. However, using ancestry DNA testing as a precondition for state memberships can lead to ethical issues such as stigmatization, discrimination, bias, and potentially eugenics.
People with ambiguous genetic heritage may not be able to verify their place of origin using their test results, but this should not implicate the petition as fraudulent. Instead, it should indicate that an individual’s genetic ancestry is not the best tool for verifying nationality and should not be used against them in immigration or citizenship petition decisions.
To use genetic test results fairly for migrant petitions, states must change how they interpret DNA test results. As DNA and genetic testing become more relevant in immigration and migrant proceedings, it is crucial to consider the unintended consequences of conflating genetic ancestry with nationality. It is essential to protect both the state and stateless persons, consider logistics of DNA testing for nationality, and handle personal information with restrictions on use and confidentiality.
Why was 23andMe banned?
Google-backed 23andme has been ordered to discontinue selling its saliva-collection tests due to insufficient information to support its marketing claims. The tests aim to demonstrate how personal genetic codes may impact future health. The start-up, co-founded by Anne Wojcicki, has been operating since 2006 and charges $99 for a kit to take saliva samples and receive a readout of their genetic code.
Is it safe to give your DNA to ancestry com?
AncestryDNA is a company that uses genetic testing and analysis to help people discover, preserve, and share their family history. After testing, any remaining DNA is securely stored in a temperature-controlled facility with 24-hour monitoring and limited access. The company recognizes the importance of personal DNA and prioritizes privacy. They encourage users to read their comprehensive AncestryDNA Privacy Statement for more details on how they collect and process personal data. To protect the privacy of their DNA samples, they employ various measures, such as:
- Encryption of data: AncestryDNA uses encryption to protect sensitive information, such as passwords and credit card information.
In summary, AncestryDNA is committed to protecting the privacy of its DNA samples.
Do DNA tests sell your info?
Major DNA companies promise not to sell or give away genetic data without your permission. Some allow non-identifying data sharing for medical research, but it’s an opt-in option. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to improve user experience. Accepting all cookies agrees to Reddit’s use of cookies to deliver services, maintain site quality, personalize content and advertising, and measure advertising effectiveness. Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure platform functionality by rejecting non-essential cookies.
Can AncestryDNA ever be wrong?
Most ancestry tests claim an accuracy rate of around 99, which means they will make a mistake around 1 in a million. However, these tests cover half a million genetic locations, resulting in several thousand mistakes. This can cause slight differences between identical samples, which could be visible in the raw DNA text files and affect ancestry or health predictions. Therefore, the accuracy of ancestry tests is not entirely guaranteed.
Is ancestry selling your DNA?
Ancestry has made recent changes to its Privacy Statement, which includes a clarification that any content entered into interactive tools within its services is considered your content. The company has also updated its Renewal and Cancellation Terms to reflect new trial and subscription offerings. The changes aim to ensure that your privacy is a top priority and that Ancestry is committed to handling your Personal Information responsibly and securing it with administrative, technical, organizational, and physical safeguards. The changes are intended to help users understand the impact of these changes on their data and the privacy of their personal information.
Has ancestry DNA ever been wrong?
The accuracy of relationship predictions is typically high for individuals who are second cousins or closer, and it is highly unlikely that such predictions are erroneous.
Is ancestry trustworthy?
Ancestry. com represents a valuable resource for those seeking to discover and explore their familial roots, provided they are willing to invest the requisite time and financial resources. The editors of PCMag undertake the selection and review of products independently, and affiliate links may result in commissions being earned.
📹 Why are ancestry DNA tests wrong?
Spoiler alert: They’re probably not. It’s more likely they’re misunderstood. Many people make the mistake of thinking they have an …
Biased on your genetic, purchasing, criminal, and employment history the bureau of equal outcome has decided your purchasing power shall be reduced by 30% for undesirable societal impact prevention purposes. For questions or concerns please report to your local dissidence management department office open to the public within your allotted FEMA district region time and date restrictions. Thank you for your willing conscription to technocracy I mean service to democracy!
Obvious concerns about private sector DNA testing come to fruition! Amazon device listening to everything you do at home! And more on ‘Things that should be obvious but somehow are not’ only on America Uncovered. Honestly, the fact that some people are so ignorant for the potentialities of these technologies/services and have so much misplaced trust is kind of scary. – ‘I’ve got nothing to hide.’, yeah so do the Uyghurs and look how that’s working out for them.
Yeah, I just bought ancestry kit and when I tried to activate it, the consent form states “Ancestry may use my DNA data to create new product features and services, including products related to wellness and health”. They won’t allow you to move forward unless you agree to this. Wording is everything. Doesn’t state that the products and services will be personalized to you or what the products and services are.
I found my dad through ancestry at the age of 28 …. I was surprised … my dads sister was a match I messaged her and she wrote me back at first she thought I was her sister from her dads side,come to find out that’s my dad sisters, long story short my dad had no idea I Existed n came to see me that same day he found out ..
They’re not sharing DNA with the police. The police are just able to upload their own DNA profile and have the same access that any other member has… which is the ability to see who your matches are. After that, it’s straight up detective work. They don’t have access to any other member’s DNA, they just have access to the match lists, which is the same access every other member has.
I expect my face and face data to be private, and the police should never have access to it. There are a lot of privacy to be concerned about. Only criminals need to worry about DNA. If I decide to become a serial killer, I’ll be sure to promote DNA privacy. Until then, I think DNA privacy is idiotically paranoid.
Can an employer force employees to take a DNA test ? Someone flicked a large booger on the wall at our office. The general manager is insisting that the person responsible come forward. He says he will have all office workers submit to a DNA test to find the culprit. I mean, yes, it was my booger, but I’m not taking any tests. I sneezed and it was hanging out of my nose, I had to flick it somewhere quickly.
Elizabeth Warren was one of the BEST THINGS EVER to come from genealogy testing. Warren: “I’m a Cherokee” Cherokee Nation: “No; no you’re not. Genes do not determine tribal membership.” Genealogy Test: “You’re 99.99% white!” 3:10 – “Good, or Bad, or Chaotic Neutral.” Thank you. Thank you so much! You rolled a 20 to your charisma-check.
I like that you pointed out the most crucial thing here, of course it’s good that violent criminals who have committed heinous crimes against other people can’t evade justice anymore because of these DNA samples being used. But that isn’t the problem, the problem is, well, for example, just imagine what could have happened if this technology existed in 1930s Germany, and all of a sudden it paints a very dark picture.
There is a database and it’s freely shared with all governments and no I haven’t donated DNA. It’s science is still in it’s infancy and since all of the companies only do a partial screen (there’s 3 different methods of extraction!) and because it’s so time consuming and expensive for them to do it properly the results are varied at best! there are several factors & variables that keep the results from being consistent with consecutive repetition done in the scientific method like: sequencing isn’t really what it’s touted to be, where do you begin and at what particular point do you slice it off of it’s RNA/DNA strand, then how far down the ladder or chain do you go unmeasured until you slice it again?🧐🤔and how can you compare it to anybody’s DNA that didn’t come straight from you,guess work,library full of free donations(that’s redundant Vic) different companies preforming whatever! 😱 It’s not regulated and therefore it’s all just “Open for Hunting Season”… Yeeehaw!
Law enforcement solving crime is a good thing. Convicting innocent people of crimes that happened ages ago is a vary bad thing. Companies that are proactively handing over DNA information to Government Agencies is a violation of confidentiality. Any company doing this should be closed down and the people implicitly involved should be bared from future work in the medical field. They apparently don’t have the ethics to handle the power.
I recently arrived in Taiwan…fully vaccinated and having had three negative COVID tests before getting on my plane. The tests were performed two days before my flight. Once I landed, I submitted to another test…fraught with potential causes for false positive results. Regardless, the regulation in Taiwan is…those testing positive for COVID are subject to genome sequencing. Of this, I am not a fan. Particularly, because of the proximity of China and the injection of CCP agents into Taiwanese society. My genetic information will at some point be in the possession of the CCP. What a great day!
Sole crimes with taken DNA from this company’s? GENIUS!!!! Have often spoken about why not taking DNA for new born’s, and fingerprints at birth!!! If now new-born fingerprints is 100% the same as the adult, only smaller. Then why not make it to a law? Idiots that can’t make it happened. Can sole so MANY crimes in the future, AND frighten people to even make any crime. Just THAT is a bonus!!! And made my family crimes, THEN TO JAIL!!!
The DNA is your NAME. That is only one like you. This is your identity, now. Related to the bible : Deuteronomy 19:14-21 New International Version (NIV) 14 Do not move your neighbor’s boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess. or Deuteronomy 19:14-21 King James Version (KJV) 14 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it. AKA your body.
Lots of people seem to be worried about nothing in my opinion. Unless you are some totally off grid person born in a home steading community, you’re info is already out there somewhere. I did 23andMe’s health + ancestry and was pleased with the info they gave on both. I’m not going to live forever, and I’ve got nothing to hide. So what the heck do I care if I’m part of a database of millions of other Americans? My info has already been leaked by Equifax; and my personally identifiable information is probably easy to get from any of my past employers, former health care providers, etc. So I really just don’t care.
Genealogical detective work is really just creating a family tree based on the DNA left by a perpetrator in hopes of finding a suspect because a lot of criminals do not have DNA in CODAS. Just like a tip left on a tip line, this work only provides a recommendation on who to check out. It still requires the suspect to be positively identified via DNA in order to charge and convict. I think you’re misunderstanding how the genealogical DNA is being used in crime investigation.
Notice how dna-solved cases say it’s still mostly males who are raping females and males. (I say males and females instead of men and women because a good portion of the people involved are babies, children, and adolescents) Rape is about power. ALWAYS. Male feel pressured by other males and females to be strong. And they naturally want to feel and be perceived as strong. Men need to be raised to be more vulnerable and to respect other’s bodies. Parents, please do your part in teaching your kids not to rape, not to care about power. Makes sense why slave owners raped women AND men. They wanted to show their power. I’m always suspicious about ambitious and wealthy people in the US. In the US, old work ethics still infests. Bosses and ambitious charming men have more opportunity to serial-rape and control their reputation. I’m trying to think of a way that the US can eradicate rape so that we can use technologies like ancestry science to focus on other things like mental and physical diseases. However females are raise, men need to be raised exactly the same. It works in other countries to close in the communication, nurture, and rape gaps. It’s like what the study on male and female pay said. Part of the problem as to why females are paid less is because they were not raised like men are raised. Females are less independent, feel less confidence in their abilities and less pride in their work because girls are helped and boys are raised to fix their own problems. That’s why sociology is important.
I haven’t submitted a spit for a test and I advise everyone who asks me about it to not submit because it has a strong possibility of causing harm, if not to oneself to other family members. I am curious about the good parts, finding more extended family, but not about how it is accessible to not only law enforcement but to political actors. This is important to avoid unwanted scrutiny for political manipulation while we are trending to authoritarian governance.
It is worse than you think. Imagine if you left your house to go somewhere where a crime might be committed. Let us further imagine that you shed some hair, as people do, and it got collected at the crime scene. Five years later they match it to you, so now you must prove where you where on a random night five years ago or go to jail. This assumes that no one is corrupt. If the police don’t like you, the lab tech mixed up samples on accident, or the criminal wanted to blame someone else, you may find yourself trying to come up with VERIFIABLE evidence to prove where you where years or decades after an event you never knew about. Or imagine that your dad or brother had a one night stand back when they were 18. Thirty years later they find out they owe a quarter of a million dollars in back child support for a kid they never knew about because the thirty year old woman had really just wanted a kid. Unless your family has that kind of money laying around, they are going to jail because at 18 a thirty year old stranger took advantage of their sex drive.
Too bad I don’t trust those companies, and I also do not trust the results. I also believe that DNA is far to close, and you can see how can you be 100% sure in a court case now that distant relatives DNA matches. This means distant relatives could actually be responsible in DNA based evidence in court cases, this weakens the evidence in a court case and will render it useless.
hahahah OMG ok the ending got me, and I hate 23&me there was twins who submitted dna and it said they had different fathers, but the twins had different last names because they got married and 23&me didn’t know they was twins, and yes it said they was mostly black from Africa, and these are the whites girls ever. and almost every 23&me test tells people that, but a black girl in the UK sent hers in and it said she was not black or from Africa, hhahahaha to dam funny
Unlike 23&Me Ancestry charges you monthly fee to check up and get updates. So I went with 23&Me and as an adopted child from an adopted mother, my adoptive family was mislead by biological fathers side on medical issues and heritage. I found two half brothers and additional half sister thanks to 23&Me. However now they want additional private medical information I will not gove to them, so always an “You need to update medical history” uh no I’m not, nor will I as I never gave permission for certain medical issues to give you private info.
There is the theoretical possibility that DNA which has been submitted voluntarily can contain a novel gene. By novel, I mean a previously undiscovered unique gene sequence due to a displacement or mutation. The end result is that a major corporation may own the patent rights to your unique DNA sequence, which could be sold to another major corporation to make billions. In that case, you could never see a dime of those billions. Some corporation would own your DNA.
WELL WHO CAN YOU TRUST? DO YOU KNOW A DECENT AGENCY THAT ARE TRULY HONEST AND RESPONSIBLE? I WAS TOLD, BY A FRIEND, THAT A CERTAIN DNA COMPANY, SOME HOW GAVE INFO TO CERTAIN AUTHORITIES. AND THOSE AUTHORITIES, HAVE ALLEGED BEEN PINNING CHARGES ON CERTAIN BLACK MEN. WELL THANK GOD FOR THE TIMING AND WHERE ABOUTS, PROVED THE AUTHORITIES WRONG. SO…..YOU TELL ME, WHO CAN WE TRUST?
If it can’t be stopped altogether then all searches by lawinforcment or othe parties should trigger a notification to the person it concerns… That is what happens in Estonia if lawinforcment looks at your digital govenment profile you get a notification… Presumably one could then take some sort of action if one felt like they overstepped.
Goodness me, why would some corporate types be interested in collecting so many DNA samples from just regular old consumers… Not to worry sounds like a great idea… Dont think too hard you might not agree to agree with the way things work anymore… And we wouldnt want people to start thinking on their own without first being told how and what to think now would we…
I’m also reminded of an expose that tested 15 employees of a media outlet who knew their ancestry, because there were records of it and they researched it. They did 10 different tests from 10 different companies. On the same person, every test resulted in 10 different answers. One test said that a guy who had Scottish/Irish ancestry was 12% Chinese. There was no record of any Chinese ancestry in his family tree.
I know a better way to get accurate genealogy information without sending your dna to a multinational corporation that isn’t bound by privacy laws, have one of your ancestors publish a book in the early 1900s and then that book gets an historical importance stamp by the United States government, but maybe that’s just me and I had awesome ancestors
So me and my dad both took 23 and me. His worked, mine said the sample was insufficient. I did it 3 different times after sending it back and getting it back until they said I’d have to go through the process online again for the fourth time if I wanted to try again. I joked that they were stealing my spot, but I guess I was right
Except it’s on a decline, and for so many reasons, there’s been bad paternity issues that turned out to not be true, the percentage is not staggering but it’s still a percentage ; there’s been cousins linked who were not as close cousins as the test claimed, we know they can tell you what continent you likely descend from but not country, or ethnicity, and so on there’s been a plethora of issues, and do even though they claim 99.9 % accuracy which is false it’s based on algorithms, which are not audited, it’s also referenced other people who said they were say Italian, or German, and so on, and don’t actually know that for certain, also DNA is handed down randomly as it’s reconstructed it’s never consistent so your mother could be 80% Chinese, and you only show 7% Chinese, and unless you dug up her ancestors there’s no actual way to know that .
I want my DNA results to be completely private. I don’t want anyone to see them. However, I do want access to everyone else’s DNA results so I can figure out who I’m related to. And I want the names, ages, and familial relationships of everyone I’m related to. I guess I’m a bit torn. But the first company who can guarantee my privacy and still get me the free and unfettered access to everyone else’s data will win my business.
One word of caution, Chris it was recently discovered that mitochondrial DNA can now have been passed by your paternal side of your ancestors when it was previously thought that mitochondrial DNA was only passed through the maternal side. This in effect rewrites the supposed ancestry tests of everyone who took them
I knew about the dark side/the risks etc. For a long time i didn’t do it. Sadly, in a moment of weakness, the urge to take it to find my biological family, i ended up taking it. Thankfully actually found out who my bio parents etc are. Don’t get me wrong, the science behind the DNA sequencing etc is definitely interesting, and there can be useful things in dna testing ie seeing if you have higher risk of getting/having things like heart issues, diabetes. (And yes, i know dna is not everything with medical stuff. Lifestyle/environmental factors like how active what you eat etc play a factor to.)
DNA can survive for many years – decades in some cases. That means that DNA you unwittingly left at a house, several years before a crime was committed there, could implicate you in said crime. Beware of selling your couch second hand in case someone subsequently has an intimate adventure on it that was regretted and you end up getting MeeToo’d LONG after you sold it.
Man, this article really touched a nerve. It seems all well and good and noble. And, I’m sure that the medical researchers and scientists that worked on and helped put all this technology together had but the best intentions. But no good deed goes unpunished. Think about this people…”what if” the Nazi’s had had this technology back in the 1930’s? And where will this technology take us in the future? Just a thought.
The disparity between CRI Genetics and AncestryDNA is alarming. I’m left with the difficult proposition of whose results to believe. The difficulty is that I’ve zero ability to verify either. Were they remotely similar, I could accept both – but they’re not even close (races, regions, percentages, etc).
I am not to fond of arbitrary percentages that dictates how I should perceive my identity. I believe that dna can show my general geographic ancestry to a certain group of people, but to say, for example, I am half 25% Khmer, 25 % Thai, and 50% German is all arbitrary. Meaning that cultures were all created and people adapt to cultures. We have a perceived bias on how a person should look based on their ethnicity or race, but people are adaptable and can look so many ways with different phenotypes and genotypes. In all, dna represents human genomes that make up our physical traits but being Khmer, Thai, or German represents our cultural upbringing. I’d rather be 100% of each and be proud of my ancestral heritage regardless of any small percentages.
Thanks for this! I had my dad do it seperately and it was accurate. He had higher percentages. My mother did it with you and I inherited mostly my Dad’s DNA. The Asian/ Latina is predominant in my mother. She is African as well. If you could do a article breakdown on the Recent report vs. the Advanced analysis I would be grateful. It’s so funny to have European/Asian features but be dark skinned. I’ve literally fit into Europe and in with Asians and they always said I was white or asian in a past life….they were literally referencing my ancestors jaja! It helps when your other family members to it as well x
MY PROBLEM is that my CRI Advanced Ancestry Timelines suggests a large input from “British Aisles”, “Northern Europe,” as well was “Britain.” How, then, when it estimates my recent ancestry, is it over 60% English? All 3 of the categories where I see you identified an ancestor he or she could have been Scandanavian not English. Also, In the list of my Advanced Ancestry Timelines the 4th generation time matches my grandparents and the 5th generation matches my great-grandparents time on earth. And it looks like a good DNA match as well, but they weren’t all “English.” I want a better breakdown in my Recent Ancestry report. I am 99% sure that “English” misses a lot of my ancestry.
“Dad Nigerian & mom Italian” haha, what a blow to the EU failed migrant policy lol Proud to have never tested with earth’s lousy technology. My ancestors up to 10 generations ago are Siriusians, up to 100 generations are Siriusians, and up to 1000 generations and older also Siriusians, people of Sirius 💙
I did my heritage DNA Test and it gave me false results and very false information. Both of my grandparents are full blooded Native Indians, my grandmother came from Panama island 🏝️ 🇵🇦, and then my dad mother I idk about much. So my DNA percentage should been fully made up native but instead I got other things… they had errors reading my DNA the 1st time. So AT this point I don’t believe in DNA testing Anymore.
My DNA says 32% Welsh when only my one GG was from Wales, my dad’s side was from Shropshire England, 8% Ireland when I have Scotch Irish ancestors and little Irish ancestors, 9% England and Northwestern Europe when 2 of my GG were from England and one from Arcadia(Mertime provinces of French thst intermingled with the Micmac people), 2% Norway when none of my 5th or 6th GG were from Norway, 2% Germanic which has to do with my distant ancestors from The Netherlands, and 47% Scorland when my fsther’s side is my 5th GG, my 4th GG on my GG Ruth’s side(which makes me think my mystery maternal Grest grandpa from my maternal grandpa was from Scotland? Yet I’m thinking about doing 23&Me as well. Do to myself feeling discontent with my DNA results.
This might be a shocker to many, but most people “assume” they are part of a particular lineage, ethnic group, nationality, etc because they were told by parents, grandparents, relatives, etc. We expect certain DNA test results but when they turn up different we question the validity of them because we don’t take into consideration (or deny) other unfortunate and hidden factors that may have occurred within our family and not told: infidelity, unknown adoption, incest, rape, secret marriages, lying about one’s family lineage to protect oneself (or children) from persecution, etc and the list goes on. I just recently started to research my family line and discovered a lot.
I’m interested how do they determine what is 100% Irish. You can sample genes from people of some area, so in that sense it is considered by maps, and say what genes most of people share. But what is the smallest size of that group, they can’t tell you from your DNA the town you are from, and how much of it is objective or politicized?
My question here is with the test is there data section specifically for your maternal and paternal results so there is a chance to focus on a particular time period and then anywhere beyond I guess I say, 5 generations is in its own category of data because I love the idea of knowing all steps taken by my ancestors but I do specifically want to find a focus. Only because as a average human being here lol I like to reach for something far more obtainable of understanding