

23andMe Begins Selling DNA Data - samwilkinson
http://gizmodo.com/of-course-23andmes-business-plan-has-been-to-sell-your-1677810999

======
qmr
This has me rethinking ordering that $30 DNA testing GroupOn.

------
_almosnow
This is huge, it may not look like that but it is. Anyone know if this is
legal? I'm pretty sure they already thought out their alibi, but this still
could be a really messy subject. I'm also pretty sure that if they were honest
about the real business plan behind 23andMe from the beginning, much less than
800,000 people would've spit for them; that's some really low foul play there
and definitely 'evil' [1].

The reason why this is huge is because DNA (and samples) can be easily and
cheaply preserved for relatively long time (which is what they obviously did).
Right now, whole genome sequencing is 'apparently' still very expensive but
there's not a doubt that it will become ridiculously cheap as time goes on. If
23andMe is completely authorized to do whatever they want with those samples
(which I'm pretty sure they do, because I can't think of something more
flagrant than selling their data) there's nothing stopping them to sequence
all of them when the cost is low enough. What happens next could be the
subject for many science fiction novels but it's real. If they do sequence
those samples they would have BY FAR the largest amount of genomic information
that humanity has ever gathered together; along with capable researchers, this
is the kind of thing that could change the fate of our history. And... this
tremendous amount of knowledge and power is all going to be in hands of a
private business, a business with very dubious ethics and 'very close' to
another company that makes it's living taking advantage of every piece of data
they can put their hands into. This needs regulation like RIGHT NOW.

Also, from the comments:

>In essence, 23andMe got you to pay for their startup costs, and now they're
looking to make a mint on the personal data you paid to give them.

[1] For those who are not aware. 23andMe's founder and CEO is Sergey Brin's
SO.

~~~
ageofwant
I disagree. The potential benefits far outweigh the vacuous 'evil' you
describe above. Lets first have the technology and capability that could
_possibly_ be abused before we try stopping that tech from ever happening...
So what if they have the largest amount of genomic information that humanity
has ever gathered together ? And obviously they should do their best to change
the fate of our history what would you have them do with it ?

~~~
_almosnow
There are no benefits. That data is not meant for public research. The only
benefit I see is the birth of a new giant monopoly business centered on
genomic therapies.

------
hawkice
A fearful number of startups seem to be premised on the idea that we will
enter a big brother-esque dystopia in exchange for an infographic / collage.

I'm not saying they're incorrect, mind you.

------
mtmail
"Since 23andMe started in 2006, it's convinced 800,000 customers to hand over
their DNA [...] But 23andMe wasn't going to find a big business by selling
spit kits at the cut rate of $99."

Isn't $80 million USD big?

~~~
MichaelGG
They took over $100M in investment and have dozens of employees. So in that
way, no $80M is not big.

------
ageofwant
Excellent news. The more companies get access to large current datasets the
better for all people that find dying inconvenient.

------
unclebucknasty
Got a 23andMe spit-kit about a year ago, and never worked up the comfort with
turning over my DNA.

It reminded me that the hospital where my first was born was engaged in some
sort of genetic research at the time. They requested her DNA and assured me
that it wouldn't be used for, say, future health insurance underwriting, etc.

What really made me uncomfortable was, not only how the DNA could be used at
the current time, but how it might be used in the future, especially given the
rapidly-evolving technology. And, it's not only the technology that will
evolve, but privacy and other laws that currently limit DNA usage might also
change in the future.

Of course, it occurs to me that if someone really wanted our DNA, they could
capture it in, say, any random blood test, etc. But, it just seems safer, for
now, not to "give" it away for questionable value in return.

