Overview

• More than 50 million individuals have submitted DNA samples to direct-to-consumer testing firms such as Ancestry, 23andMe and MyHeritage.
• In 2018 pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline invested $300 million in 23andMe to secure access to its growing genetic database.
• Hackers recently stole the genetic profiles of seven million 23andMe customers and sold them on the dark web before the company paid $30 million to settle legal claims.
• Geneticists warn that up to 40 percent of test results can be inaccurate and major providers refuse to disclose the statistical methods behind their analyses.
• Insurers in New Zealand are demanding customers’ DNA results to determine coverage and premiums, raising fears of discrimination and exposing regulatory gaps.