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23andMe Is Monetizing Your DNA the Way Facebook Monetizes 'Likes'

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31–40 of 155 posts

Re: 23andMe Is Monetizing Your DNA the Way Facebook Monetizes 'Likes'

#31

The pros of using 23andMe has vastly outweighed any cons, real or hypothetical. Here is a pro: I was able to print out a 3 page report to give to my new doctor that described what medications I had a low / high tolerance for and what medical conditions to look out for as I grow older. My doctor was floored-- and as a result we do a few extra tests every year to keep track of a potential eye condition I am at a higher…

Insurance companies finding your dna and charging you more based on it?

Re: 23andMe Is Monetizing Your DNA the Way Facebook Monetizes 'Likes'

#32

The pros of using 23andMe has vastly outweighed any cons, real or hypothetical. Here is a pro: I was able to print out a 3 page report to give to my new doctor that described what medications I had a low / high tolerance for and what medical conditions to look out for as I grow older. My doctor was floored-- and as a result we do a few extra tests every year to keep track of a potential eye condition I am at a higher…

    > I was able to print out a 3 page report to give to my
    > new doctor that described what medications I had a
    > low / high tolerance for and what medical conditions
    > to look out for as I grow older
Respectfully, I've previously paid a reasonable amount of money for things that have given me medical-looking reports back[0], but later turned out to be largely fiction.

What gives you confidence in this report?

[0] Turns out food intolerance tests aren't actual allergy tests. Who knew?

Re: 23andMe Is Monetizing Your DNA the Way Facebook Monetizes 'Likes'

#33
post #18
post #5

What wrong with using aggregate dna data to help target cures for Parkinson's?

Even with the best of intentions things can go wrong and there are lots of unanswered questions in this emerging field. I'm sure the medical organizations involved are very aware of these problems, like protecting the privacy of those in the datasets. We've seen medical data de-anonymised in the past - it's not a trivial problem to solve. Likewise there are moral issues. What happens if you discover X% of people in t…

> Do you have the right to tell them?

This I don't understand: what does it mean? What is the right to warn people of dangers? How do you earn such a right? How do you lose it?

Have someone else tell them if you think you haven't the right somehow.

Re: 23andMe Is Monetizing Your DNA the Way Facebook Monetizes 'Likes'

#34
post #6

So on one side journalists lament lack of new drug development & just the shoddy state of healthcare tech, while as soon as any new data that can potentially unlock new drug targets (23andMe) or provider better support (Google DeepMind Health) is introduced, Such efforts are quickly demonized with spread of Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. Rather than asking important questions such as at which level the "aggregate" data…

I just want to pay for a service or product and have that be the end of my interaction with the company as well as the end of the company's use, possession, and monetization of my data. When I buy a stick of gum I deprive the store of that stick of gum in exchange for money. On the Internet I'm purchasing something but the company gets to hold on to and share it indefinitely. It not only benefits from the money exchange but also continues to use the very product they sold me to continue to beef up their profit. Taking my money is apparently just a nice bonus but not what they're really after. I wish the privacy cost was stated in as clear terms at transaction time as the monetary cost, and I believe that users should receive royalties when their data is used for any continued access.

Re: 23andMe Is Monetizing Your DNA the Way Facebook Monetizes 'Likes'

#35
post #8

23andme has a very clear privacy policy on their landing page. So what's this all about?

A privacy policy is not informed consent. Nobody would have a problem if they asked first. The tech industry likes to act as if they have a right to use any data they get their hands on for any purpose; why wouldn't you expect a hostile reaction when people see their data being used without their explicit permission?

A common response is that nobody would participate with a proper opt-in system. That lack of participation is sending a clear message.

Re: 23andMe Is Monetizing Your DNA the Way Facebook Monetizes 'Likes'

#36
post #19

This is really not surprising. Media coverage of 23andMe all the way back to its founding has said that it was offering SNP testing at-cost to build a big database which can be used for all sorts of things (although they were probably too optimistic about the usefulness of it). The real scandal is how 23andMe has published appallingly little research based on it. When I signed up with 23andMe, I was totally fine with…

I think it may just be taking time for scientists to start working with their pipeline, which is somewhat cumbersome simply due to their privacy controls. I predict we will start seeing more studies soon. See my other comment on this thread for details about one of those studies.

Re: 23andMe Is Monetizing Your DNA the Way Facebook Monetizes 'Likes'

#37

The pros of using 23andMe has vastly outweighed any cons, real or hypothetical. Here is a pro: I was able to print out a 3 page report to give to my new doctor that described what medications I had a low / high tolerance for and what medical conditions to look out for as I grow older. My doctor was floored-- and as a result we do a few extra tests every year to keep track of a potential eye condition I am at a higher…

Insurance companies finding your dna and charging you more based on it?

Already illegal.

Re: 23andMe Is Monetizing Your DNA the Way Facebook Monetizes 'Likes'

#38
post #6

So on one side journalists lament lack of new drug development & just the shoddy state of healthcare tech, while as soon as any new data that can potentially unlock new drug targets (23andMe) or provider better support (Google DeepMind Health) is introduced, Such efforts are quickly demonized with spread of Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. Rather than asking important questions such as at which level the "aggregate" data…

I don't feel particularly happy seeing a private profit oriented corporation having the DNA data and the results of analysis for millions of people and establishing a market dealing with this data.

In the end it's your life, your defects that could be on sale and determine your worth in a capitalist society. This is scary because you fate is determined by your birth and some algorithmus that may or may not be correct and some statistical chance that you suffer of certain diseases.

From a capitalistic "I want to minimize costs and maximize profit" perspective it's a perfect fit but the results on society are scary.

On the other hand there are clear benefits to have the possibility to prevent the harm caused by diseases or to adjust your life on informed data about possible risks.

However if you life insurance can buy that data from 23andme or your employer you are fucked and all the talk of equality before the law is moot because some DNA data from you prevents you from closing contracts due to "risk mitigation".

I don't know why anyone would belittle criticism in this direction - it's something that needs to be debated.

I thought about using 23andme but this problems stopped me from doing so. This shouldn't be a for profit but these are the times.

Re: 23andMe Is Monetizing Your DNA the Way Facebook Monetizes 'Likes'

#39

The pros of using 23andMe has vastly outweighed any cons, real or hypothetical. Here is a pro: I was able to print out a 3 page report to give to my new doctor that described what medications I had a low / high tolerance for and what medical conditions to look out for as I grow older. My doctor was floored-- and as a result we do a few extra tests every year to keep track of a potential eye condition I am at a higher…

Can't think of any potential cons or just don't want to? Insurance companies would benefit from this data, all kinds of public and private institutions would like to research it, and as per tradition, advertising industry will find ways to monetize it, as it has done with all information for all of history.

Re: 23andMe Is Monetizing Your DNA the Way Facebook Monetizes 'Likes'

#40
post #6

So on one side journalists lament lack of new drug development & just the shoddy state of healthcare tech, while as soon as any new data that can potentially unlock new drug targets (23andMe) or provider better support (Google DeepMind Health) is introduced, Such efforts are quickly demonized with spread of Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. Rather than asking important questions such as at which level the "aggregate" data…

It's more about 23andMe advertising that by being a paying customer you will advance science, when what they're doing is selling your data to pharma companies.
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