DNA Test Kits Threaten Kids’ Privacy in Ways We Can’t Understand Yet
November 22, 2019
(Quartz) – Given the comparative infancy of genetics, the recent emergence of home DNA testing kits seems nothing short of miraculous. Indeed, the National Human Genome Research Institute concludes that the cost of DNA sequencing has been reduced by orders of magnitude in only a decade. The kits promise results that at the least promise a bit of fun—perhaps an unexpected far-flung ancestral connection. At best, test results can be potentially lifesaving, identifying genetic predisposition to a range of medical conditions. But you don’t have to be Orwell to understand that the decision to allow a profit-driven company to analyze a person’s data at a genetic level represents a new level of privacy threat.