From Military.com:
“Pentagon Leaders Tell Troops to
Stop Using Mail-In Genealogy DNA Kits”
U.S. troops are being advised to
steer clear of popular genetic-testing kits over what Pentagon leaders say is a
growing concern that the personal information could be exploited or tracked.
Top military brass received a memo last week warning them that some genetic
testing companies are encouraging Defense Department personnel to buy
genetic-ancestry or health-information products by offering military discounts.
But the direct-to-consumer DNA tests are "largely unregulated," the
memo states, potentially leaving their personal data or genetic information at
risk. That, the memo adds, could "create unintended security consequences
and increased risk to the joint force and mission." The memo was signed by
Joseph Kernan, the undersecretary of defense for intelligence, and James
Stewart, the assistant secretary of defense for manpower and Reserve affairs.
Military.com obtained a copy of the memo, which Yahoo News first reported on
this week. "Until notified otherwise, DoD military personnel are advised
to refrain from the purchase and/or use of [direct-to-consumer] genetic
services," Kernan and Stewart wrote. Military.com first reported in July
that at least one top military leader was concerned about the mail-in kits.
Former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson said in July that troops
need to "be careful who they send your DNA to. "There's a number of
those companies where you can go and find out what your makeup is. That's a lot
of information," Richardson said. "You learn a lot about yourself,
and so does the company who's doing it." Defense Department officials did
not respond to a question about whether Richardson's warning led to a review of
the Pentagon's policy on mail-in ancestry and genetics kits. The new memo
doesn't specify how military readiness could be at risk if troops use
off-the-shelf genetic-testing kits, citing only "increased concern in the
scientific community that outside parties are exploiting the use of the genetic
data for questionable purposes." That includes "mass surveillance and
the ability to track individuals without their authorization or
awareness," the memo adds. Elissa Smith, a Defense Department spokeswoman,
said the memo was sent to ensure all service members are aware of the risks
that could come with the tests. "The unintentional discovery of markers
that may affect readiness could affect a service member's career, and the
information from [direct-to-consumer] genetic testing may disclose this information,"
she said. "Testing performed by DTC companies may or may not provide
reliable, accurate results. Because of this, until further assessment, it is
advised that service members receive this information from a licensed
professional rather than a consumer product." Two popular companies that
offer mail-in DNA tests -- Ancestry and 23andMe -- say protecting consumers'
data is a top priority. And neither, according to company officials, are
currently offering military discounts. Gina Spatafore, a spokeswoman for
Ancestry, said the company doesn't share customer data with insurers, employers
or third-party marketers. The company also protects personal information from
law enforcement unless it is compelled to share the data "by valid legal
process, such as a court order or search warrant." Katie Watson, vice
president of communications at 23andMe, said no customer information is shared
with third parties without separate, explicit consent from its customers.
"Customers are in control of how their data is shared, and how their data
is stored," she said. "They can choose to have their sample stored at
our lab, or have it destroyed. They can also download their information and
close their account at any time." Ancestry.com, Spatafore said, was the
first in the industry to set a self-governed policy framework for the
collection, protection, sharing and use of data collected by consumer genomics
companies. "Ancestry recognizes our responsibility to lead by example and
set the bar for industry innovation," she said. "For that reason, we
partnered with the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF), and other personal genomic
testing companies to release the Privacy Best Practices for Consumer Genetic
Testing Services." Sensitive data from 23andMe is encrypted, Watson said,
and only essential company personnel have access to the information. Steven
Block, a biology and applied physics professor at Stanford University, told
Military.com this summer that while people should be mindful that any database
that stores their personal data could be hacked, companies such as Ancestry or
23andMe tend to store only a limited amount of data -- about 1/1,000th of a
person's full DNA. "If you have the physical swab, then you have a sample
of the complete DNA information for the individual, and the potential to do
much more with that than, say, the sort of limited information that
ancestry-kit companies collect and store," he said.
^ While I have used a home DNA
test from one of these companies I can understand the US Military being worried
about its soldiers and how their results could be used. ^
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