
How to Identify Almost Anyone in a Consumer Gene Database - extraterra
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-identify-almost-anyone-in-a-consumer-gene-database/
======
tgb
Largely unrelated but MPEG of mp3 fame has just released MPEG-G, a compressed
file format for genomic data. Predictably, it's on track to be saddled with
patents. Imagine needing proprietary software to view your own genomic data -
or for your new doctor to not have the software to read it! Here's one take
worth reading on it: [http://datageekdom.blogspot.com/2018/09/mpeg-g-
ugly.html?m=1](http://datageekdom.blogspot.com/2018/09/mpeg-g-ugly.html?m=1)

Also there's already a compressed data format called CRAM for this that has
some traction and for which MPEG conveniently failed to compare itself to in
their paper.

~~~
jkbonfield
To be "fair", their latest revision of the paper includes some figures from a
4 year out of date version of CRAM, which is an improvement on the 10 year old
outdated format they used initially. ;-)

Disclaimer, that's my blog and I'm the primary author of the newer version of
CRAM.

------
tinbad
I recommend anyone interested in genome exploits to watch this talk at DEFCON
by John Sotos[1] about why you should be very hesitant in giving away your
DNA.

[1]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKQDSgBHPfY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKQDSgBHPfY)

~~~
thedailymail
I'd heard about that talk before but never watched it – scary stuff! Many
thanks for sharing the URL.

------
okket
See also previous discussion about this topic from 12 hours ago:

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18195827](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18195827)
(60 comments)

------
Real_S
>New techniques ... may soon make the anonymity of their customers’ DNA
impossible to safeguard

I strongly disagree.

>He suggested it might be wise to encrypt genetic data to protect personal
information.

Maybe we can encrypt DNA molecules themselves! Check out GeneInfoSec

~~~
asaph
>> New techniques ... may soon make the anonymity of their customers’ DNA
impossible to safeguard

> I strongly disagree.

Can you please share why?

