Beyond the Death of Privacy

A DNA database with 2% of the population can be used to find almost anyone

Centuries of data in one drop of blood.

https://qz.com/1422656/public-dna-da...almost-anyone/

:deadhorse:

Wow, i thought i was safe but then I remembered that my Dad had done one of those Ancestry things.Guess there is no hiding now.:)

Interesting stuff. I wonder how many of the DNA services put there have publically accessable data bases. The few I have heard of have a report that you can access but no access to information of others. Obviously they exist. It makes one consider what they have become involved in and what that means for society as a whole.

One word: hackers. Regardless of public accessibility to the databases housing DNA data for Ancestry and 23andme, those systems are connected to TCP/IP networks making them just as hackable as Facebook, Yahoo, Google, Equifax, etc. have been recently. Russians hacked the entire Yahoo customer base in 2014 -- which took Yahoo 2 years to reveal -- and somehow we cannot believe hackers directly influenced the 2016 election.

While kayaking with a buddy yesterday (gorgeous 65F fall day), we discussed the dire need for treatment of software development like a true engineering discipline. Took some major bridge collapses and loss of life to trigger that change in construction which lead to truly board-certified civil engineers.

The term software engineer is oxymoronic at best and should have double quotes, Software "Engineer," given that it's pretty much still in the Wild West stage of evolution.

Scary sh!t if you ask this former computer dude. A seriously critical software "bridge" (or, several) will collapse soon since people typically need a crisis to focus their attention and actions.

:soapbox::aargh:

An article in my local paper yesterday.

Take the skyway? You can get $100 for your DNA - StarTribune.com

It is to remember that certain religions baptize deceased persons, ancesters " to assure their entrance into heaven."
Makes a good mailing list also.
JMO, YMMV
~Richard

Heard on the news:
A gas station posted a sign:
"Please do not warm urine samples in the microwave."

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
George Santayana

All we have to do is remember Hitler, eugenics, Rwanda and what has happened repeatedly to First Nations people to know that tracking genetic background can lead to some pretty terrible happenings.

We worry about phishing and hacking on the internet and all sorts of telephone scams. The only way to protect yourself, if that is even possible, is to not play in the game at all. I do not participate in online surveys, ancestry searches or other potentially veiled ways other folks can find out about me. In spite of that, I’m sure anyone with the knowledge and skill can find out a great deal about me. I choose not to make it any easier for them.

I'm chagrined to admit that I submitted a spit sample to one of those services back when they were having all the specials, like $59.95 or something. This was before I seriously considered the potential future implications; the sad thing is that I didn't really find out that much that I didn't already know. Turns out my ancestors were mostly from Western Europe/England/Ireland, etc.. Well, no s**t, Sherlock! They keep teasing you with the next level of info. available for more money-screw 'em and their whole business model.

If you guys are interested in the terrifying potential for technology misuse, watch the series Black Mirror on Netflix. Many of the most gripping episodes are so terrifying because they are completely plausible within a few short years.

Yea I tried one of those ancestry services. They told me I was older than dirt and my great grandfather was a TRex.

Not only DNA, how about your unique biometrics stored in a data base:https://www.clearme.com/