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killakam86437 t1_iygmvmy wrote

Reply to comment by alissa914 in Philadelphia police uncover name of "The Boy in the Box". Dna technology is just wow! by CQU617

Would you happen to know the laws and what companies like that use my DNA for as well? I e been thinking about doing a genealogy test but I'm not to keen on giving a private corporation my DNA without know what they use it for and the rules

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bumberbeven t1_iygnelz wrote

A lot of police forces are now uploading dna from criminals they can’t catch, and then if it matches with close relatives they reach out to them.

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IWantAStorm t1_iyh2ahg wrote

Yeah that's the thing. People in your family can do DNA testing. I know an aunt did ours and we are a small family so no murder for me! /s

On the plus side if I was murdered and found they'd know who I was so...good news?

We still have family we've found that make no sense though. There's a family in Egypt with our same surname that are so similar looking that it's insane but unless one of them does DNA testing we won't know the connection.

And we are eastern European by what we know so we don't know who went where.

We have a very minimal last name to the point where I know only I have my name in the states so other families are odd to find, especially when the people look just like you.

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TheUltimateSalesman t1_iyh9p4d wrote

If it's a cheap test, you are most likely giving up your privacy. Read the agreement.

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SauceOverflow t1_iyhbjvo wrote

23andMe have laid out their rules pretty well in the agreement you sign with them. Iirc, they can do whatever they what with your data but it's "anonymous" when they sell it. They're are research companies that gather the DNA data and run it through cold cases to check for matches.

Read up on how 23andMe changed their products, fought with the FDA, and where they make their money before selling yours to them for a $100.

That's not to say they are an evil company nor the research work done with the data bad or wrongfully incriminating, just that once you let your DNA (or any other personal data) in the hands of another company, you loose the ability to argue how it's used.

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