Home DNA tests

rslade — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 09:05:01 GMT

First of all, let's point out that there are very significant differences between biometric identification using DNA, medical DNA mapping assessments, and the home DNA test kits. There is very little overlap between these three processes.

I have long regarded the home DNA test results as highly suspect. Not only that, but you are giving away your DNA data to companies that have little or no restrictions on how they use, re-use, or sell that data. (Recently some of the companies have come with a set of privacy practices, but those, too, are a bit suspect.)

CBC's Marketplace program is airing (tonight at 8pm) an episode examining some of these home DNA tests. The results seem to be highly unreliable, particularly since all of the tests give different results for a pair of identical twins. An article based on the program is here. (if you can't access the program itself, the responses from the various companies are sometimes interesting.)

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Home DNA tests