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Back when Ancestry and 23andMe first started sending out DNA kits, skeptics raised concerns over what the companies were going to do once they had a ginormous database of human DNA. Concerns over whether they were going to sell the DNA to drug companies or insurance companies are still being raised, and now law enforcement and crime stopping can be added to the list.
As Fusion reports, the FBI already has a national genetic database. However, both companies’ policies mention that, if given a court order, they will turn DNA information over to authorities, and they acknowledge that this has happened before, and they have complied.
23andMe’s privacy officer, Kate Black (who just joined the company in February) tells Fusion that the company plans to publish a transparency report in the next few months, which would detail the exact amount of government requests that it receives and how many it actually complies with. “In the event we are required by law to make a disclosure, we will notify the affected customer through the contact information provided to us, unless doing so would violate the law or a court order,” Black tells Fusion.
Read full, original post: Could having your DNA tested land you in court?
