By Kotaro Ito, Staff Writer
Think twice before opening your own DNA test kit, and sending your DNA to its respected companies. By appearance, testing your DNA to uncover your ancestry seems delightful, but investigation reveals that one of countless numbers of DNA is worth a fortune to scientists.
“[With] a swab of the cheek, that tiny sample can disclose the biological building blocks of what makes you you,” states, Lesley Fair from the Federal Trade Commission.
Large DNA testing firms, such as 23andMe or Ancestry, have been rapidly gaining popularity with people eager to know more about their ancestors and their bloodline. They have also decreased prices for DNA testing kits, showing how beneficial our ill-used DNA is to scientists.
“Being such a new and fast-growing industry, regulations are often formed after-the-fact. Therefore, protection of genetic databases and enforcement of bona fide privacy policies for DNA test firms are still in their developmental stages,” states Genetics Digest.
DNA that are part of us are being misused. DNA that are sent uncovers sensitive personal information about our bodies. These DNA in the wrong hands are used for commercial purposes or to test cures for existing diseases. Misused is one thing, but consumers have no choice but to worry about cyber breaches around the world, that rose over the course of year.
“Without the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) stamp of approval, 23andMe was providing individuals with potentially false genetic tests that could cause people to undergo surgery,” states Genetic Digest.
Recently, 23andMe has made false calculations with tested DNA, urging people that they have been diagnosed with diseases. The inaccurate results show how flawed DNA tests are. It may be true that they were made to do good, but as for now, it is bringing more harm than good to the customers privacy and health.
It is such a pity how DNA testing created solely to reveal about our family’s history which has helped people without relatives to build their family tree before can be twisted in a way where instead, our private informations can be seen and sold to the selfish.
