[xvector]

I am a security engineer. When I signed up for 23andme, I assumed with certainty that it would be hacked and all data leaked at some point. I balanced that with the value of knowing potentially important health/genetic bio markers.

In the end, I valued knowing these bio markers above the privacy of my genome. The former is actionable and I can use it to optimize my health and longevity; the latter is of vague value and not terribly exploitable outside of edge-case threat models.

[smarkov]

Exactly my thoughts.

I'd be more upset if a combination of my name and email/phone number got leaked than if my DNA was made available public.

[tuwtuwtuwtuw]

Why would you be upset if your name+phone combo was leaked? Mine is all over internet so wonder why you feel it would be bad.

[smarkov]

I simply don't want to deal with spam or scams. If I'm exposing my contact details it would be a separate set that is dedicated to dealing with communication coming from the public.

[themaninthedark]

Why? You can change your phone number and your name. Good luck with doing so with your DNA.

[smarkov]

And that is exactly why they can be changed - because they're valuable details that can be used to track someone down. Your DNA is easily obtainable and is not used in any meaningful way that would affect your life if it was exposed.

[hot_gril]

Phone numbers are an increasingly important identifier. Sucks to lose one.

[tuwtuwtuwtuw]

What do you mean by "identifier"?

For me, phone numbers have had reduced importance over the last couple of years. Most of my communication with other people are over various messaging apps.

[c7b]

In retrospect, how do you so far value the utility of the data you got? Did you take any actions based on them, do you think you will be doing so in the future?

[xvector]

Luckily I had no severe biomarkers. Some minor ones, but nothing I didn't know already. I loved learning about my ancient ancestry, though (ie migratory patterns 300k years ago.)

On balance, was the utility worth the cost (of a breach)? Probably not, because I found no major actionable issues. But if I did find severe biomarkers, it would have been worth it. So I do still think I made the right choice.

[logifail]

> I can use it to optimize my health and longevity

Q: Is it a HN thing to be (obsessively?) interested in health and longevity?

Dying is a natural process. Sorry.

[averageRoyalty]

We fight all sorts of natural processes. Most common forms of death from a couple of centuries ago are solved. Our average lifespan has increased dramatically. We fly around in planes, travel to space, grow fruit out of season and build giant cities.

As a species, we're excellent at working around or ignoring what's "natural".

[rfrey]

It's a human thing. Not all humans, but many.

> Dying is a natural process. Sorry.

Avoiding dying, as best one can, is also a natural behaviour.

[logifail]

> Avoiding dying, as best one can, is also a natural behaviour

Source?

Natural selection is about passing on our genes which looks like: reproduce, raise your offspring ... <roll credits>

[xvector]

I don't really care whether it's natural or not. Maybe if you ever have a NDE you will understand.

[hot_gril]

And I'm probably gonna die before any of these theoretical DNA privacy risks becomes real.