U.S. Senator Charles Schumer is warning consumers to think twice saying their information could be a gift for a third party.
DNA test kits are one of the hottest gifts, but once you send the information it belongs the companies.
The kits promise to provide information about your genes and where you come from, but Schumer say they’re putting consumer privacy at risk.
Sarah Campian is a genetic counselor with Beaumont in Royal Oak. She says test kits don’t tell you who is getting your information and what they do with it after you receive your results.
For example AncestryDNA says:
By submitting DNA to AncestryDNA, you grant AncestryDNA and the Ancestry Group Companies a royalty-free, worldwide, sublicensable, transferable license to host, transfer, process, analyze, distribute, and communicate your Genetic Information for the purposes of providing you products and services.
Schemer feels the language is troubling because firms can give your information out for money.
The senator is calling on the Federal Trade Commission to take a look at the privacy policies to make sure they are clear and fair to the consumer.
