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23andMe confirms hackers stole ancestry data on 6.9M users

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Re: 23andMe confirms hackers stole ancestry data on 6.9M users

#71

Post by saalweachter »

mrtksn wrote: post #46
shatnersbassoon wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Given the nature of the service, you should probably treat it as inherently pseudonymous. You're handing over irrevocable genetic data which will link you to relatives. Whatever their data protection assurances are, you have to imagine the worst case scenario - massive data leakage. And if this happens then you will in all likelihood be identifiable.

Obviously I don't trust any assurances, but on the other hand I'm handing over my genetic data all the time because parts of me end up over in the hands of 3rd parties whenever I go outside but they just happen not to run test on those. If I can have a test that is not connected to my persona, from their perspective the data would be as valuable as running a test on the hair in the barbershop or picking a random left…

I mean, what is your threat model, and what are you trying to get out of DNA/ancestry services?

If you're worried about getting arrested for one of the many crimes you've committed, and you want to meet far-flung relatives, you're kind of in a bind here. Assuming unlimited cooperation between the police and the DNA/ancestry services -- which your threat model in this case would require -- even if they don't have your name or address, they could fabricate a half-sibling/double-cousin in the system and have them reach out to you. What, are you not going to talk to and eventually meet the cop pretending to be your previously unknown half-sibling/double-cousin?

Re: 23andMe confirms hackers stole ancestry data on 6.9M users

#72

Post by mtlmtlmtlmtl »

mrtksn wrote: post #59
mtlmtlmtlmtl wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, your analogy makes no sense. A fake facebook account is not identifying information. DNA is. They can figure out who you are based on the DNA alone, if they have enough data from your relatives.

There are billions of addresses in the world and you can look it up online. It is an identifying information only when it is attached to an identity. That's exactly the same. DNA is everywhere, it's only identifying when connected to an identity.

It can be tied to your identity, that's the point. Because they'll have your relatives' data.

Re: 23andMe confirms hackers stole ancestry data on 6.9M users

#73

Post by quickthrower2 »

stef25 wrote: post #65
HenryBemis wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well they can narrow it down to the family, unless it was the very DNA giver that left that DNA sample on the scene of the crime. And since 23andme (as I assume others) don't do these anonymously, there is no hope. Unless people use someone as a proxy (i.e. I-1 give my sample to a male colleague to send it as his-2, he-2 gives his sample to someone else to send it as his-3, and so on..). Police would eventually find…

There are plenty of cases where DNA is found at the crime scene, run through a database, match is found with a relative. Then the cops start looking at the family and boom there's your shady uncle with priors they got their guy.

Yes it has come up a few times on forensic files usually on cold cases.

Re: 23andMe confirms hackers stole ancestry data on 6.9M users

#74

Post by spacebacon »

e2le wrote: post #61
spacebacon wrote: post #49

It's imperative to recognize that the healing of cross-generational trauma is a journey within an individual's lifetime, rather than resorting to a confrontational approach that employs genetic data to incriminate individuals based on what science implies about their genetic makeup. The flaws inherent in this data—biased, widespread, and contaminated—highlight its unreliability. Relying on such data, which historical…

I struggle to understand what is written here.

Sorry, if Google didn’t make so many world changing products so quickly I’m sure I would have less criticism of Google in general and fit in more easily here.

Re: 23andMe confirms hackers stole ancestry data on 6.9M users

#75

Post by losvedir »

skummetmaelk wrote: post #6

This disaster is the perfect counter-argument to those always saying "why do you care so much about privacy. It doesn't affect you when I share things. You can just choose not to do it", except no, I can't choose when we're relatives and you chose to share our genome. It is so obvious that your relatives sharing their genomic data with 23andMe reveals a lot of information about you. We can only hope people will reali…

> This disaster is the perfect counter-argument to those always saying "why do you care so much about privacy. It doesn't affect you when I share things. You can just choose not to do it"

While I agree it's a perfect counter-argument to that, is that what people always say? I'm not sure I've heard that argument as much as "why do you care so much about privacy?" full stop. As in, they don't really understand why anyone should care about privacy. And this isn't really a counter argument to that, any more than any other breach. And to be fair it's not really even a counter argument to that until you show the harm that came from it. What do you think will happen to people who had their ancestry data stolen here?

Re: 23andMe confirms hackers stole ancestry data on 6.9M users

#76

Post by knallfrosch »

mikewarot wrote: post #62

I never seriously considered using 23 and me. Not because of hackers, but rather what government would do with that information. I don't want to be responsible for some random relative getting charged with a crime just because I was curious about my family tree.

If that's your only concern, you need to read up on something called "Nazis." Imagine what they would do with a database of genetic information.

Re: 23andMe confirms hackers stole ancestry data on 6.9M users

#77

Post by mrweasel »

alexbeloi wrote: post #7

Fun fact, they can sometimes narrow down crime scene DNA to just a single person by having enough partial matches from their (potentially distant) relatives. I can't remember which DNA database was used, but some cases were solved this way, IIRC it introduced a bunch of legal questions about if you can search a database in that way. I think this was the article that talked about this (apologies for the paywall): http…

There have also been a number of false positives because many believe that DNA is infallible. What people tend to forget is that DNA tests used by law enforcement is only using a very small subset of DNA markers. This mean that if you're already in a DNA database you can get an unpleasant knock on the door just because you have 10 DNA markers in common with some random criminal.

Danish police only upgraded from 10 DNA markers to 16 in 2021, forcing them to review 12.000 cases and redoing the DNA test. Resulting in at least one person having the sentence reversed. No word on how many was falsely suspected, but I assume more than a few.

Re: 23andMe confirms hackers stole ancestry data on 6.9M users

#78

Post by acuozzo »

seszett wrote: post #58
mewpmewp2 wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What about people who would want to donate their data to further the research?

They can enrol in studies at actual (non-profit so they don't benefit from selling data, probably public funded) research institutes.

> non-profit so they don't benefit from selling data

Non-profit in the US is a tax status. Many CEOs of non-profits enjoy multi-million dollar salaries and bonuses.

Re: 23andMe confirms hackers stole ancestry data on 6.9M users

#79

Post by spacebacon »

spacebacon wrote: post #49

It's imperative to recognize that the healing of cross-generational trauma is a journey within an individual's lifetime, rather than resorting to a confrontational approach that employs genetic data to incriminate individuals based on what science implies about their genetic makeup. The flaws inherent in this data—biased, widespread, and contaminated—highlight its unreliability. Relying on such data, which historical…

Anyone else notice downvotes are hand and hand with google criticism here much?

Re: 23andMe confirms hackers stole ancestry data on 6.9M users

#80

Post by petesergeant »

mrtksn wrote: post #11

If anyone who used the service, do you know if you can use it anonymously? I wanted to try it but I was afraid of exactly this. How feasible it is to use a payment and an address that doesn't directly connect you to your samples?

I used a fake name and a masked email address, and no issues so far. I've told close family members that if they get a sibling, child, or uncle show up called "James Brown" not to freak out too much
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