Why DNA Tests Can Be Dangerous To You And Your Family

In our recent short article titled Why DNA Tests Are Misleading we explained that DNA tests for racial background are far less ‘fact’ and much more ‘fiction’ than you have been led to beleive by slick ad campaigns.

In this article we explain how these test can be dangerous to you and your family:

How DNA Tests Can Be Dangerous

DNA tests can be fun and potentially interesting but the results are questionable and you no longer control your own biological information.  Typical tests from big players like 23andme.com and ancestry.com start at just 50% reliability and that is by their own questionable math.  This is a problem because:

1. Such tests lead to a perception that there is major and verifiable biological differences between races, which is a highly suspect conclution.  DNA tests have been picked up as a way for racial based hate groups (think skin heads, white supremists, black panthers, Nazi’s…) to separate people into groups
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2. DNA testing inferences will continue to improve in the future and DNA testing companies will retest old samples or re-interpret old results with new algorythms.  Those that have submitted samples are highly likely to receive notifications of new results.  They are likely to include medical diagnosis that you did not ask for and potentially do not want.  You will be presured to buy those new results and possibly have life altering information forced on you.  What might that do to your insurance premiums?
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3. Once you have a belief your racial heritage, you are likely to change your behavior in at least subtle ways to support your questionable background
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4. Your privacy is ripe to be violated.  The DNA test data is not deleted from the companies database after you have sent them your spit sample.  That data is added to the calculations of known things from which they compare other spit samples of DNA.  This may be not be as benign as you think.  Some company now has your biological fingerprint, your address, name, age… and there is virtually nothing you can do about it

It is common for companies to go bankrupt and to have their data sold to other organizations, regardless of what the original terms of service claimed about privacy rights.  It is also common for data to be stolen from companies.  Imagine having a Nazi group with access to a database of Jewish people, their physical addresses, their email address… what could go wrong?

What if, in say 20 years time, it is decided that people with Native American heritage are given some additional funding (think free education, tax break, military furlows…) OR are refused some social program because they already have a separate program.  If that Native American group will not admin you because they have a higher standard like residency requirements, but the Government says your test proves you meet the minimum criteria to be categorized as Native American, you will be out of luck for both programs.

To get it down to one word, think ‘control’.  Once you have given up your DNA you have given up your biological fingerprint forever.

Your DNA Can Be Used To Track Others

Millions of people choose to uploaded their DNA profiles to geniology databases so that they can find others in their extended family.  Well now that data can be used to find people did NOT upload their DNA by process of ellimination.  It is called Genetic Genilogy.  Watch these two short videos on how the Golden State Killer was caught 40 years after his crime spree ended because his family members uploaded their DNA profiles: