In the wake of the bankruptcy, blockchain advocates have seized the opportunity to make the case that DNA is better off on the blockchain — whether directly stored on the servers of a decentralized network or using some elements of Web3 technology on the back end. The promise of a more private 23andMe, where users control their own data, is alluring to many — yet actually bringing the world of DNA sequencing onto the blockchain is not without its own unique challenges.23andMe’s complicated privacy history23andMe may be most known for selling DNA testing kits and offering ancestry and health reports, but its core business model is actually centered around selling its customers' genetic data to pharmaceutical companies and other researchers.
Source: IncogniDarius Belejevas, head of Incogni, told Cointelegraph that customers give their genetic data to companies like 23andMe under the assumption that it will be protected under the privacy terms they agreed to.“A bankruptcy sale fundamentally alters the terms of that agreement, potentially exposing their most sensitive biological information to use by the highest bidder,” he said.“Yet again, we see a regulatory gap in the data collection industry, which, in this case, will likely leave 23andMe users never knowing what really happens with their physical samples and sensitive information.”Privacy policy concerns aside, 23andMe has also faced data leaks.
A 2020 study written in part by GenoBank’s Uribe found that regulatory frameworks like the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, which sets strict guidelines for the handling of user data, have “generated some challenges for lawyers, data processors and business enterprises engaged in blockchain offerings, especially as they pertain to high-risk data sets such as genomic data.”So, while blockchain certainly offers several advantages over centralized companies like 23andMe, it’s no panacea, and it may not be for everyone.
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Author / Journalist: Cointelegraph by Jonathan DeYoung
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