Genetic Data, Now for Sale
Last month, 23andMe—the DNA testing company—filed for bankruptcy, a move that quickly made headlines. The news came on the heels of a consumer alert issued by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, and for good reason.
On March 26, 23andMe said buyers must follow its privacy policy to make a qualified bid. But legal experts say that the policy will not hold. Benjamin Farrow, a partner at Anderson, Williams & Farrow, explained, “There’s no way a court will say the terms of service can never be changed.” He added, “It’s like buying a car. Once you own it, you can paint it, change the interior, do anything you want with it.”
Why it matters: Genetic data can be misused in various ways.
Genetic data can lead to discrimination—for example, someone with a hereditary disease marker might be denied specific types of insurance. While GINA bans this in health insurance and employment, it doesn’t cover life, disability, or long-term care insurance.
In the realm of national security, there’s concern that malicious actors could use genetic data to develop targeted biological weapons. They could engineer pathogens aimed at those groups by analyzing genetic vulnerabilities prevalent in specific populations.
It’s all fun and games until your data’s up for auction.
