[pc86]

Be careful you don't break something with those gymnastics.

The immediate concern I had with this story is nefarious groups or individuals purchasing this data to target people with violence based on their ethnicities. Imagine if the genome of millions of Europeans was available on the black market in 1930s Europe.

[happytiger]

That is one SOLID example of what could go wrong.

It’s similar to the Office of Personnel Management data breach when every Federal Employee was just 0wn3d. It included 21.5 million background investigations into people and the personnel files of every federal employee and most contractors.

Just slightly sensitive stuff. Nobody knows how many people died as a result of the hack, but I’m sure it was non-trivial because a LOT of people got surprised doxed.

This information is still rattling around out there and will have implications for generations.

Imagine if the same could be done for demographics based on genetics — the risk factors for medical conditions, the ethnic ties you’re talking about, etc.

It’s weighty stuff.

[bigtunacan]

Considering one of the hacker's first actions was to offer for sale data identifying people of Jewish or Chinese descent I think that's a very valid concern.

[jstarfish]

Did anybody actually buy it though? This could be misdirection, or just misguided marketing based on historical instances of abuse. China isn't known for trying to repatriate descendants, and it's not exactly difficult to find Jews.

Ancestry data would certainly be of interest to a particular demographic known to discriminate by caste. There's no escaping your low-class heritage when anyone can look up your stolen DNA profile on the black market.

[fragmede]

"not exactly difficult"...

I'm not Jewish, but I feel like there's some sort of reason for them not wanting a list of who they and where they live to exist.

[suslik]

> it's not exactly difficult to find Jews.

Really? As a 25% jew whos genetic data was probably just stolen, I'd like to disagree with that statement. I don't harbour any stereotypical jewish phenotypes, and don't self-identify as a jew, but who knows if someone else decides to do that for me.

[happytiger]

It doesn’t matter if it got bought because it’s indelibly available forever now. It’s now available to someone who shouldn’t have it whenever they come around with the intent to misuse it.

And the choice to share or protect this information just got taken away from every one of their customers forever.

[tptacek]

I have no idea what "it's not exactly difficult to find Jews" means. It struck me as kind of an icky thing to say, so you might want to clarify the benign intent you had for saying it.

[firen777]

Weren't the sales surface on Oct 6th?

[everydayentropy]

I'll take this one step further.

What if you're able to pinpoint unique loci for an individual or group which can serve as a target of a highly specific bio-weapon? Do you think genomic bio-weapons aren't being explored as future weapons?

[kjkjadksj]

If a group wanted to do that why bother with the dna data? Easier to just perform the violence. Even in 1930s europe I’d bet the SS would not really be concerned with whatever your dna data said if they really wanted you or your people gone, you’d just be labeled an enemy and sent off same as a jew or a gypsy or a communist.