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Ancestry.com can use your DNA to target ads

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Re: Ancestry.com can use your DNA to target ads

#21

Post by pavel_lishin »

mirimir wrote: post #19
pavel_lishin wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> And being "anonymous" is rather pointless. It's ones DNA! That's an ultimate biometric. But unless it's tied to my identity, I don't care! It may be the ultimate biometric, but that only matters if they can compare it to my DNA by taking it from me directly - and at that point, they have my DNA, so it doesn't matter whether I previously provided it anonymously or not!

I suppose. But once there's a bunch of stuff online that's linked to your DNA data, anyone who has your DNA data can correlate it all. And tie it to your true name. Bottom line, I see no compelling upside to putting ones DNA data on the Internet.

That's why I would like to send my DNA in anonymously; I don't want to link anything to my DNA data.

Re: Ancestry.com can use your DNA to target ads

#22

Post by throwaway4567 »

mirimir wrote: post #19
pavel_lishin wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> And being "anonymous" is rather pointless. It's ones DNA! That's an ultimate biometric. But unless it's tied to my identity, I don't care! It may be the ultimate biometric, but that only matters if they can compare it to my DNA by taking it from me directly - and at that point, they have my DNA, so it doesn't matter whether I previously provided it anonymously or not!

I suppose. But once there's a bunch of stuff online that's linked to your DNA data, anyone who has your DNA data can correlate it all. And tie it to your true name. Bottom line, I see no compelling upside to putting ones DNA data on the Internet.

The upside is getting potentially profound information about yourself, in a way that is inexpensive and convenient.

There are also significant benefits to biological research. Most genetic variation is rare, and the effect of each of these rare variants is small, but they add up. Having access to larger datasets will allow us to be able to better correlate those variants to diseases. 23andme is already doing this with Genentech: http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2015/01/06/surpris....

Re: Ancestry.com can use your DNA to target ads

#23

Post by throwaway4567 »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #17
thrownaway2424 wrote: post #11

That's not even close to the most offensive thing ancestry.com does to you.

What else do they do?

Nothing, to my knoweldge. I've had a subscription to Ancestry.com for almost two years and have found it amazingly useful. I've learned far more about my ancestors than is known from oral family history. The subscription is pricey, but their service is amazing.

That said, I suspect Ancestry.com is much less useful for those living outside the United States. In particular, having ancestors who lived in the country at least 72 years prior to the most recent US Census is what makes Ancestry.com most compelling. That's when census records on individual people become available, as outlined at https://www.census.gov/history/www/genealogy/decennial_censu.... Ancestry.com has done high-resolution scans of all US Census records and parsed them with decently accurate OCR, so you can plug in a (likely deceased) ancestor's name and get their street address, age, occupation, rent/mortgage, those living in the household with them, etc.

I have also not tried their AncestryDNA product, and probably will not. If I were to try direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing, I'd probably use 23andme.

Re: Ancestry.com can use your DNA to target ads

#24

Post by thrownaway2424 »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #17
thrownaway2424 wrote: post #11

That's not even close to the most offensive thing ancestry.com does to you.

What else do they do?

The mormons use ancestry.com data to proxy-baptize your ancestors into their ridiculous death cult.

Re: Ancestry.com can use your DNA to target ads

#25

Post by pavel_lishin »

thrownaway2424 wrote: post #24
pavel_lishin wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What else do they do?

The mormons use ancestry.com data to proxy-baptize your ancestors into their ridiculous death cult.

I was going to reply with, "I don't care what mumbo-jumbo people say with my name embedded", but that actually is pretty offensive to someone with strong religious beliefs.

Re: Ancestry.com can use your DNA to target ads

#26

Post by mirimir »

throwaway4567 wrote: post #22
mirimir wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suppose. But once there's a bunch of stuff online that's linked to your DNA data, anyone who has your DNA data can correlate it all. And tie it to your true name. Bottom line, I see no compelling upside to putting ones DNA data on the Internet.

The upside is getting potentially profound information about yourself, in a way that is inexpensive and convenient. There are also significant benefits to biological research. Most genetic variation is rare, and the effect of each of these rare variants is small, but they add up. Having access to larger datasets will allow us to be able to better correlate those variants to diseases. 23andme is already doing this wit…

I do get that.

But what if 23andme or Genentech starts selling people's data to health and life insurance firms? And maybe employers will want that data, just as they want credit reports etc.

There ought to be meaningful privacy protection, in my opinion.

Re: Ancestry.com can use your DNA to target ads

#27

Post by mirimir »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #25
thrownaway2424 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The mormons use ancestry.com data to proxy-baptize your ancestors into their ridiculous death cult.

I was going to reply with, "I don't care what mumbo-jumbo people say with my name embedded", but that actually is pretty offensive to someone with strong religious beliefs.

Right, Martin Luther is probably a Mormon now ;)

To me, it's just funny. But maybe not to Lutherans?

Re: Ancestry.com can use your DNA to target ads

#28

Post by gergles »

mirimir wrote: post #26
throwaway4567 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The upside is getting potentially profound information about yourself, in a way that is inexpensive and convenient. There are also significant benefits to biological research. Most genetic variation is rare, and the effect of each of these rare variants is small, but they add up. Having access to larger datasets will allow us to be able to better correlate those variants to diseases. 23andme is already doing this wit…

I do get that. But what if 23andme or Genentech starts selling people's data to health and life insurance firms? And maybe employers will want that data, just as they want credit reports etc. There ought to be meaningful privacy protection, in my opinion.

GINA prohibits them from selling it to health insurance firms or employers.

Not life insurance firms, yet, though.

Re: Ancestry.com can use your DNA to target ads

#29

Post by a_bonobo »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #16
mirimir wrote: post #13

Everything to do with DNA sequences ought to be done by personal agents who are certified, licensed and bonded. And subject to strict oversight and liability. Or it could be done client-side, by those with requisite skills and resources. Only specific information, suitably redacted and abstracted, should be submitted to untrusted third parties. Sending swabs to untrusted firms is just batshit insane, in my humble opi…

> And being "anonymous" is rather pointless. It's ones DNA! That's an ultimate biometric. But unless it's tied to my identity, I don't care! It may be the ultimate biometric, but that only matters if they can compare it to my DNA by taking it from me directly - and at that point, they have my DNA, so it doesn't matter whether I previously provided it anonymously or not!

Any malicious agent doesn't have to take it from you directly, taking it from your relatives is enough.

Re: Ancestry.com can use your DNA to target ads

#30

Post by xahrepap »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #25
thrownaway2424 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The mormons use ancestry.com data to proxy-baptize your ancestors into their ridiculous death cult.

I was going to reply with, "I don't care what mumbo-jumbo people say with my name embedded", but that actually is pretty offensive to someone with strong religious beliefs.

You have to be a descendant of the deceased to submit their name to be done. Also, there's a lot of sensitivity toward religions who have general qualms about the practice (for example, it's against the rules to submit Jewish holocaust victims). Also, many religious leaders of other faiths have gone on record[1] saying how they're glad the Mormons have brought back the biblical practice of baptisms for the dead.

The practice isn't as cultist as some (gp) may want to imply without understanding what it implies and really means.

[1] https://youtu.be/4mMDYt0Twpo

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