[dash2]

23andme isn't just any small company. They process people's DNA! It's about as personal information as you can get. And the stolen data included information about people's genetic ancestry. They should have very high-class security practices.

[dubcanada]

General question, but let’s say they get your genetic ancestry information. What could you do with that?

[2devnull]

Researchers and scientists could do a lot with such data. A tyrannical government would find many uses in furtherance of their repressive tactics. Blackmailers can find high profile targets where genetic linkages have been obscured by births out of wedlock, incest, etc… Strange question. Data are valuable, it’s like most of our economy at this point.

[dubcanada]

But you already agree to let 23andme send your data to "research" partners. I can understand the blackmailer, but even that is a bit of a stretch. I just don't see what damage could be done, which is why I asked the question. If a tyrannical government wants DNA of its citizens, it could just force it. I doubt they would go buying it online with bitcoin.

[joenot443]

> A tyrannical government would find many uses in furtherance of their repressive tactics.

Strange answer. What do you actually mean by this? "furtherance of their repressive tactics" can mean just about anything - which government are you talking about, and which tactics?

[RunningDroid]

> Strange answer. What do you actually mean by this? "furtherance of their repressive tactics" can mean just about anything - which government are you talking about, and which tactics?

Any government with racist tendencies might make use of this data and decide someone has $GENE which is primarily seen in $ETHNIC_GROUP so should be treated as poorly as the government treats $ETHNIC_GROUP