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requerdanos [soylentnews.org] writes:

Voluntary DNA tests fall somewhere between "bad idea" and "danger, stay away" as documented pretty well [soylentnews.org] here previously. It's not surprising that tech- and privacy- minded people might hold this position, but now that position is being echoed by the U.S. Pentagon [nbcnews.com].

Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Joseph Kernan and James Stewart, acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, said [in a Dec. 20th memo] that DNA testing companies were targeting military members with discounts and other undisclosed incentives. “Tests that provide health information have varying levels of validity, and many are not reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration before they are offered,” the memo said.

The tests might [pose] more risk to military members than regular consumers. Inaccuracies could negatively affect the required disclosure of those members' medical information, the memo said. “Moreover, there is increased concern in the scientific community that outside parties are exploiting the use of genetic materials for questionable purposes, including mass surveillance and the ability to track individuals without their authorization or awareness,” the memo said. The officials told military personnel to refrain from using the kits until otherwise notified.

...

[C]onsumer advocates have cautioned the tens of millions of people who have used at-home DNA kits... "at the end of the day you may have a good time but the company now can sell that information 100 different ways,” Peter Pitts, of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, told NBC News in 2017. “You don’t want that information displayed to other people[.] Ultimately you don’t want an employer to have access to your information.”

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