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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

#71

Post by leafboi »

loughnane wrote: post #3

This is why I’ve been putting off getting my genome sequenced. One breach and it’s out there forever. I’ve heard good things about nebula[0] as a way to get an anonymous genome but have yet to be motivated enough to take the plunge [0] https://nebula.org/whole-genome-sequencing/

From an ethics standpoint their's something to talk about here...

From an individual standpoint I really don't care about someone out in the public knowing my genome. It's not like I store my passwords on my genome, how is this information going to be used against me?

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

#72

Post by amINeolib »

slg wrote: post #27

Can someone explain the potential short to medium term fears of one's DNA leaking? My initial assumption is that it would be less of a problem compared to nearly any other personal data leaking. Like it certainly sounds creepy, but credit card or other financial data being stolen presents a huge headache and creates a lot of work. I understand that in specific instances, for example when paternity is in question or i…

I'd be most curious if there is DNA that can predict if you are susceptible to marketing/propaganda.

Easy to figure out- line up anyone who accessed the site with an Apple product and do data science/machine learning on those users.

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

#73

Post by austhrow743 »

all_blue_chucks wrote: post #61
loughnane wrote: post #3

This is why I’ve been putting off getting my genome sequenced. One breach and it’s out there forever. I’ve heard good things about nebula[0] as a way to get an anonymous genome but have yet to be motivated enough to take the plunge [0] https://nebula.org/whole-genome-sequencing/

What is the impact of having your DNA known? As far as I can tell the worst case scenarios are finding out you have to pay child support or getting placed at the scene of a crime. If those risks don't apply to you, who cares?

Getting placed at the scene of a crime applies to everyone.

Remember that once you do it, it’s out there forever. So you can’t just rely on “I haven’t and won’t break any laws that exist in my country right now”.

Having certain characteristics that show up in your test could be illegal in 20 years time. You don’t know.

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

#74

Post by throwawayDNA »

acwan93 wrote: post #56
eloff wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you're missing the part where you have to send the tube to a lab to do the actual sequencing. At that point they have your data, and even if there were to be a provider that says they don't keep it, that's about as credible as all the VPNs which "don't keep logs" where we later discover, whoops, they lied...

Right, maybe this is where I’m being ignorant, but would there be a way to do the actual sequencing down to a consumer device? I presume the machines used are pretty complex.

DNA sequencers are not that expensive [1]. And I’m told the actual lab work is not that hard or dangerous (high school level?).

I fact, the database correlating millions of people’s DNA with their medical history and migration history is probably the hardest part.

But the potential market is there. I’d gladly play $1000 to have my sequence, even unanalyzed, with the knowledge no one else does.

1 cursory look at eBay. I don’t know if those sequencing machines are good for human DNA - I hate bio.

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

#75

Post by [deleted] »

all_blue_chucks wrote: post #61
loughnane wrote: post #3

This is why I’ve been putting off getting my genome sequenced. One breach and it’s out there forever. I’ve heard good things about nebula[0] as a way to get an anonymous genome but have yet to be motivated enough to take the plunge [0] https://nebula.org/whole-genome-sequencing/

What is the impact of having your DNA known? As far as I can tell the worst case scenarios are finding out you have to pay child support or getting placed at the scene of a crime. If those risks don't apply to you, who cares?

[deleted]

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

#76

Post by cortic »

all_blue_chucks wrote: post #61
loughnane wrote: post #3

This is why I’ve been putting off getting my genome sequenced. One breach and it’s out there forever. I’ve heard good things about nebula[0] as a way to get an anonymous genome but have yet to be motivated enough to take the plunge [0] https://nebula.org/whole-genome-sequencing/

What is the impact of having your DNA known? As far as I can tell the worst case scenarios are finding out you have to pay child support or getting placed at the scene of a crime. If those risks don't apply to you, who cares?

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 to this kind of prejudice. And even if we can secure some legal protection, to the million peoples families, that won't matter now.

I don't know what will happen in the future, but i can imagine how much smoother the holocaust would have went if DNA were public.

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

#77

Post by throwawayDNA »

jeffbee wrote: post #29
ivalm wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is a bit like face recognition databases. In principle, the data is already public-enough. In practice, building these databases enables qualitatively higher levels of surveillance.

How, exactly? It's not like I can use wide-area instrumentation to locate you via your genome. You can imagine how to do it with cameras and faces, but I just don't see the method for DNA.

Imagine the BLM protests (since that will probably be popular with the HN crowd).

There’s video footage of a guy in a mask spitting on the ground after throwing a rock. He’s wearing a mask.

His second cousin did 23 and me.

Actually, statistically many of his second cousins did 23 and me.

Therefore we know who he is.

If only one second cousin did 23 and me, we’ve narrowed the suspects to, perhaps, a few hundred. Filter by apparent height, gender and you have a very narrow set of suspects.

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

#78

Post by SomewhatLikely »

js2 wrote: post #24
hangonhn wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just out of curiosity, is there a reason for Mormons to especially care about their genealogy?

> One of the core tenets of Mormon faith is that the dead can be baptized into the faith after their passing. Baptism of the dead evolved from the beliefs that baptism is necessary for salvation and that the family unit can continue to exist together beyond mortal life if all members are baptized. > Mormons trace their family trees to find the names of ancestors who died without learning about the restored Mormon Gos…

Why not just baptize every human then?

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

#79

Post by lukaa »

jrumbut wrote: post #58
loughnane wrote: post #3

This is why I’ve been putting off getting my genome sequenced. One breach and it’s out there forever. I’ve heard good things about nebula[0] as a way to get an anonymous genome but have yet to be motivated enough to take the plunge [0] https://nebula.org/whole-genome-sequencing/

Regardless of their policies, they still want to store it themselves and put it on the Internet. I am hoping that someday there will be a sequencing company that will mail me a drive containing the only copy and destroy the sample. I'm not worried about a sophisticated attack on my individual sequence but I suspect most of these services are or will be targeted by advanced and persistent attackers. Call me paranoid b…

And you should trust that company or government based on what?

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

#80

Post by bergstromm466 »

HenryKissinger wrote: post #11
est31 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's kinda sad that the genome sequencing machines need to be fed loads of genomes in order to offer cheap prices for customers. You can't just buy one for home then use it a couple of times to sequence your family. That'd be most privacy preserving, but the fabled 1k whole genome prices are (currently) only available in high throghput machines. OTOH it's also better because that reduces the nonconsensual sequencing.

The federal government could maintain a central database containing the DNA of every citizen. Submitting a sample might be incentivized by barring people from, say, receiving social security, disability, government backed mortgages and student loans, food stamps, tax refunds, and other federal benefits if someone doesn't comply. The National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, the Central Intellige…

Why would DNA have anything to do with crime?
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