U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, D-NY, says people who have used home DNA kits to trace their ancestry probably don’t realize that they might be sharing their most personal information to third parties.
Schumer says the companies that administer the kits such Ancestry.com and My Heritage don’t clearly disclose in their privacy agreements that they can sell the DNA info to a third party.
He says the terms of service suggest that the companies can sell the info for commercial purposes, and he wants the Federal Trade Commission to investigate and regulate the industry.
Schumer says he is not against the info being used for educational or research purposes but doesn’t want third parties to be able to monetize the genetic info or make unfair decisions based on it.
A spokesperson for My Heritage says the company has never shared data, and wouldn’t without the customer’s explicit and informed consent.
