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Breach exposed more than one million DNA profiles on a major genealogy database

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Re: Breach exposed more than one million DNA profiles on a major genealogy database

#231
post #34
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My hunch is that if this information is used against you, you'd never know. First scenario that comes to mind: The insurance company that gives you an extremely high quote because you come back as "high risk" from a 3rd party company that they use to vet applications, and that 3rd party company uses your genetic predisposition for a condition.

This requires the insurance company to be doing something illegal and for it to really cause damage all their competitors have to be doing it as well. If this ever becomes widespread, it would be quickly obvious when a large number of ostensibly healthy people are given quotes that match their genetic profile but not their medical history. I'm just not sure that is a reasonable fear.

There are also laws against looking people up on social media in my country, but in most countries it is legal. 70% are estimated to do that as part of the hiring process regardless of laws.

> An employer who looks at an applicant's Facebook page or other social media posts could well learn information that it isn't entitled to have

True, but you cannot unlearn things...

So the believe in laws prohibiting information spread might need rethinking.

Re: Breach exposed more than one million DNA profiles on a major genealogy database

#232
post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That leads to my afterlife nightmare scenario. I die bravely in glorious battle and am chosen by the Valkyries for Valhalla. One evening as we feast after that day's fighting, quaffing giant tankards of mead and boasting of our deeds, there comes a knock at the door. Two young men in suits enter, and go to speak to Odin. Odin then call for me to come over. He tells me that the young men are Mormons, and that some dis…

Mormon baptism for the dead is conditional - it doesn't automatically convert them, but rather the dead person gets a choice to accept that baptism or not. But then again, while in Mormon theology the spirits are immediately sorted into paradise and "spirit prison" upon death, they can apparently communicate across the boundary between the two; and those in paradise can thus evangelize to those in prison, until they…

> those in paradise can thus evangelize to those in prison, until they convert.

So even the Mormons admit that having Mormons constantly trying to convert you for the rest of eternity is what hell is like... :D

Re: Breach exposed more than one million DNA profiles on a major genealogy database

#233

And half the DNA of all of the siblings and parents of the people that submitted their DNA, a quarter of their grandparents and grandchildren and so on. That's what I really hate about these companies, they get people to submit their DNA and the customers do not realize it isn't a decision that affects just them.

So I should get the consent of my entire extended family before I ever submit my DNA to a service for analysis?

Re: Breach exposed more than one million DNA profiles on a major genealogy database

#235
post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That leads to my afterlife nightmare scenario. I die bravely in glorious battle and am chosen by the Valkyries for Valhalla. One evening as we feast after that day's fighting, quaffing giant tankards of mead and boasting of our deeds, there comes a knock at the door. Two young men in suits enter, and go to speak to Odin. Odin then call for me to come over. He tells me that the young men are Mormons, and that some dis…

I believe the "if you live a good life you go to heaven" is a common tenet of many Christian denominations since the Vatican Council. At least, I recall my religion teacher (a catholic priest, we have such a class in public schools in Italy tho they vary in content and quality) telling us that some decades ago. You do not go to heaven if you're an atheist tho, as _denying_ there is something divine puts you in the ba…

That's a fairly new development BTW, I believe 2005-2007. Before that, unbaptized "good" souls were collecting dust in limbo.

Re: Breach exposed more than one million DNA profiles on a major genealogy database

#236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No but the DNA database helps them track you down.

Sure. They might outlaw brown hair, too. They might outlaw last names with vowels. That hypothetical, imaginary risk doesn't make it sensible to dye your hair and change your name.

Tell the 6 million Jews, hundreds of thousands to million+ Romanis, and hundreds of thousands of disabled who were systematically exterminated by gassing, shootings, starvation and various other means that being outlawed is a "hypothetical risk". Even beyond WW2 to say what you said is so incredibly against any form of historical understanding that one must start to wonder what your motive with it is.

Re: Breach exposed more than one million DNA profiles on a major genealogy database

#237

And half the DNA of all of the siblings and parents of the people that submitted their DNA, a quarter of their grandparents and grandchildren and so on. That's what I really hate about these companies, they get people to submit their DNA and the customers do not realize it isn't a decision that affects just them.

So I should get the consent of my entire extended family before I ever submit my DNA to a service for analysis?

I think so, yes. Otherwise you're sending large portions of their personally identifiable information to some sort of database without their consent.

Re: Breach exposed more than one million DNA profiles on a major genealogy database

#238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean does it really matter what the church says? The important part is what God actually thinks here and that seems to be very different depending on who you ask.

To be more precise, what matters is not so much what God/gods "think", but what they want us to do. In this case, the textual foundation for Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus is Mark 16:16: "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned." Assuming these really are the words of Jesus, they leave very little for interpretation, no matter what Vaticanum II says.

Only if your priest disallows other interpretations. Here people can disagree what constitutes faith. Many Christians believe that God is everything good, so if you share good values, it's thinkable you are effectively a decent Christian. But yeah, for Protestants faith is formality: if you only believe in these and these letters and remain a miserable sinner, you get a ticket to heaven.

Re: Breach exposed more than one million DNA profiles on a major genealogy database

#239
post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was just wondering if this one leak would spur a hike in organ thefts. Or a spike in abusive husbands and fathers, pedophiles and rapists tracking down the victims that escaped them. Even if this doesn't happen, the future is a devious thing; I think we will eventually get to a stage of gene oppression; We have went through periods of oppressing and persecuting religion and ethnicity. DNA seems even more vulnerable…

Organ theft and the holocaust? If that's what you're worried about your problems are already much much much more severe than what we're discussing here.

What problems would you rate as more severe than being gassed alive or having your organs stolen?

Re: Breach exposed more than one million DNA profiles on a major genealogy database

#240
post #34
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My hunch is that if this information is used against you, you'd never know. First scenario that comes to mind: The insurance company that gives you an extremely high quote because you come back as "high risk" from a 3rd party company that they use to vet applications, and that 3rd party company uses your genetic predisposition for a condition.

This requires the insurance company to be doing something illegal and for it to really cause damage all their competitors have to be doing it as well. If this ever becomes widespread, it would be quickly obvious when a large number of ostensibly healthy people are given quotes that match their genetic profile but not their medical history. I'm just not sure that is a reasonable fear.

> This requires the insurance company to be doing something illegal

The problem with laws is that they can be changed relatively quickly while your DNA, and many other things, can't.

Afaik pre Hitler Germany already had a pretty extensive personal registration system that included thing like birth date, sex, _religion_... Which became very convenient later on. Once the data is out there you have to trust the current government and companies as well as all their successors for your entire lifetime (and potentially more in case of your DNA).

It already started btw, some insurance companies give you discounts if you accept to wear their smartwatch to prove that you exercise, it's just a matter of time before it slowly extends to other things.

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