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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that people who use family DNA testing kits are making a mistake?

11 replies

DNAnnon · 21/12/2023 21:16

I'm talking about the self test DNA kits that people buy to try to trace family history. As I see it people are paying for some company to hold their very personal records for ever and who knows what purposes this information might be used for in the future. I know that family history is a warm and fuzzy topic, but if the same kit was labelled "upload your medical history to our database", would people use them? And if the kits were free, would people be more cautious?

OP posts:
PillowRest · 21/12/2023 21:18

Plenty of people have volunteered health data for the "our future health" study.
Far better to study and learn from data than worry about whether some distant relative who is a criminal might get traced or similar.

WetBandits · 21/12/2023 21:19

I don’t know what to make of it tbh. My Mum did one and opened a HUGE can of worms as we discovered that someone had told porkies about who my Nana’s father was. My Nana is no longer with us and we don’t think we would have told her the truth even if she was, but we’ve been in touch with who it turns out is her half-sister’s grandson, and he’s sent photos of his grandma who looks eerily like my Nana. I feel sad for her that she always thought she was an only child, but she actually had three sisters she never knew about!

Original poster
DNAnnon · 21/12/2023 21:27

PillowRest · 21/12/2023 21:18

Plenty of people have volunteered health data for the "our future health" study.
Far better to study and learn from data than worry about whether some distant relative who is a criminal might get traced or similar.

The "our future health" study you mention seems to have safeguards regarding the use of data and that sounds reasonable.
I'm talking about the possible use of data by private companies for other reasons unrelated to the purpose for which people gave the DNA sample. Imagine for instance if the data was sold to insurance companies.

OP posts:
TheYearOfSmallThings · 21/12/2023 21:31

I would be very cautious about it too, OP. I don't think people fully think through the implications.

arewedoneyet · 21/12/2023 21:35

I think I read that the golden state killer was found because one of his relatives used one of the kits and the US government gained access to the databases despite what the companies told participants when they signed up.

Even though on that occasion it was a good thing, I think this is a worry that even if the correct processes are followed that governments like US can override these / databases can be hacked.

VeronicaSawyer89 · 21/12/2023 21:36

arewedoneyet · 21/12/2023 21:35

I think I read that the golden state killer was found because one of his relatives used one of the kits and the US government gained access to the databases despite what the companies told participants when they signed up.

Even though on that occasion it was a good thing, I think this is a worry that even if the correct processes are followed that governments like US can override these / databases can be hacked.

YANBU OP. 23andme was hacked.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/dec/05/23andme-hack-data-breach

Genetic testing firm 23andMe admits hackers accessed DNA data of 7m users

US company says ‘threat actor’ responsible for security breach that affected nearly half of its 14m reported users

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/dec/05/23andme-hack-data-breach

SausageAndEggSandwich · 21/12/2023 21:37

Weren't one of the big ancestry DNA companies caught out by a massive data breach? I think they tried to keep it quiet. But I seem to remember something like it.

I wouldn't use one.

BooksAndHooks · 21/12/2023 21:43

No you can register a kit as Mickey Mouse with a made up email address. The info doesn’t need to be linked to you. The majority of kits don’t test medical info either.

buidhe · 21/12/2023 21:45

A close family member of mine was adopted out of a Magdalene laundry in Ireland. No way of telling who we were all related to, difficult to get the truth out of the church and shameful secrets all covered up. DNA revealed a lot. Even though it all happened 80 years ago, I'm glad to know the truth and everyone who cared at the time is dead so it's no odds to them.

RiverCartwright · 21/12/2023 22:07

It answered a lot of questions for me, and as an only child with no living parents it was comforting to find family.

Original poster
DNAnnon · 21/12/2023 22:20

BooksAndHooks · 21/12/2023 21:43

No you can register a kit as Mickey Mouse with a made up email address. The info doesn’t need to be linked to you. The majority of kits don’t test medical info either.

How can "Mickey Mouse" remain annonymouse? The kit is sold on the promise of identifying relatives, therefore M Mouse is outed.

My son works with databases all day and it you would be surprised what he can do with it. He asked me not to use one of these kits, not because of the past but because of the future.

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