Turmoil at 23andMe, a company offering popular at-home DNA testing, has upset the industry. Following the resignation of every independent member of the company’s board of directors, its chief executive, Anne Wojcicki, expressed openness to selling the company and its database of around 15 million customers, raising concerns about the misuse of genetic data.
Research suggests that 90% of white Americans can be identified on genealogy websites even if they've never submitted their own DNA. DNA commodification is no longer a future concern; it’s a present reality. Beyond charging users for their services, some companies have explored selling their data and giving consumers a small cut of the profits or offering other financial incentives to hand over the lucrative samples.