World News

32526 readers

1166 users here now

News from around the world!

Rules:

Please only post links to actual news sources, no tabloid sites, etc
No NSFW content
No hate speech, bigotry, propaganda, etc

founded 5 years ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

381

23andMe User Data Stolen in Targeted Attack on Ashkenazi Jews (www.wired.com)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

93 comments fedilink hide all child comments

At least a million data points from 23andMe accounts appear to have been exposed on BreachForums. While the scale of the campaign is unknown, 23andMe says it's working to verify the data.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] BitingChaos 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

You say that like it's a negative thing.

Some people actually want to know things and are curious about where they came from, what they're made of, who their family is.

Submitting your DNA can increase your knowledge. It sounds like you can't believe people would seek knowledge.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago

I’d love to know all of that. I just don’t ever trust a private corporation to safeguard my highly personal and unique DNA information from:

a foreign scammer looking to make a buck
my government looking to close a case
a foreign government looking for kompromat
a health care company looking for reasons to deny coverage.

It’s too easy for a company to skimp on staff and digital security and then say “we’re soooo sowwwy, have 3 months of identity fraud protection on us” if they find a breach.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The point I think you could be missing is that the organizations which do this have been at best irresponsible, at worst negligent, in protecting customers personal information. There are obviously benefits to ~~this~~ a genetic record. Preserving a comprehensive genetic record for future generations to study is one. A database for law enforcement to use to solve very serious crimes like murder and rape. All that would be wonderful, but that information is already being misused and abused. Most people, myself included, don't think these organizations will ever be responsible to their customers cause who the hell would believe that these days?