By Boris Pavlov, Year 11
The popularity of DNA testing companies, such as 23andMe and FamilyTreeDNA, has soared recently. Over 15 million people have submitted their DNA for personalised testing to trace their heritage or discover their family tree. However, recently FamilyTreeDNA revealed that they have been giving this information over to the FBI.
Our DNA holds our most basic identity. To have it traded over to the FBI is a huge fear that many people have. The deal allowing FamilyTreeDNA to give data to the FBI was made in 2018. However, its users were not notified of it, nor did they agree to have their data shared. This poses drastic questions as to whether a breach of privacy laws, that are supposed to have prevented such occurrences, has happened.
The problem of data protection is one of the biggest in our modern world. Technology and the internet have long been accused of being easy ways for identity theft. The recent example proves that the problem will have to be dealt in more drastic ways than it has been in the past.
The FBI have maintained that the information given to them was used in criminal cases, such as rape and murder investigations. Nevertheless, public outrage was rightfully sparked. In response, the president of the company, Bennett Greenspan wrote to their customers, “I am genuinely sorry for not having handled our communications with you as we should have.” However, his words are little consolation to those who did not consent to this invasion of privacy.
The company has claimed that it will require a subpoena for information not on its website, as has 23andMe. However, the FBI has not issued a statement as of yet. In all, the whole case is more than simply worrying, as it underlines the issue of the lack of company transparency with how it uses data, and how little we can do about it. Until it is possible to devise ways to protect our data, it may be safer to use caution when considering how much information to give online.
