GENEALOGY: A warning to Ancestry customers who consent to use DNA services

A warning to Ancestry customers who consent to use DNA services

A couple of years ago, Ancestry went into a partnership with a biotech company called Calico, owned by Google. The premise of this partnership was that Ancestry would make its customers’ DNA results available to this other company to use for their research purposes. It’s a for-profit venture on both sides. Ancestry sells its customers’ DNA data to Calico and Calico makes money off the research it does. Customers pay Ancestry to conduct the DNA test, but Ancestry and its partners stand to make billions.

This May, an attorney named Joel Winston, specialist in consumer protection, former deputy attorney general for New Jersey, and formerly in the Department of Justice, posted a warning to Ancestry customers when they consent to use the DNA services.

“To use the AncestryDNA service, customers must consent to the Ancestry Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. These are binding legal contracts between the customer and Ancestry. The most egregious of these terms gives Ancestry a free license to exploit your DNA for the rest of time…There are three significant provisions…to consider on behalf of yourself and your genetic relatives: (1) the perpetual, royalty-free, world-wide license to use your DNA; (2) the warning that DNA information may be used against “you or a genetic relative”; (3) your waiver of legal rights,” writes attorney Winston.

Read full article and learn more about Privacy Policy here.

Here’s How To Make Sure You, Your Business & Website Is FTCCompliant

By now it should be clear how important it is for you to be FTC compliant. But how can you do that without spending $7,500-$8,000 or more on Internet Attorneys?

Smart business owners around the world are doing it with the help of FTC Guardian.

FTC Guardian is a service that is 100% focused on helping to keep you get and stay FTC compliant and fully protected. And right now, we are offering a free training to give you the knowledge, information, and guidance that you need to stay out of trouble with the Federal Trade Commission.

Free Compliance Workshop: Join Chip Cooper, Esq., the #1 FTC Compliance trainer in the World, for a one-of-kind, completely free online compliance workshop. Workshops fill up quickly, so register now.

Here are some of the things you’ll discover on the training:

Real-Life Examples of People Who Didn’t Think They Were At Risk, But Who Got Nailed By The FTC, And Why It Could Happen To You, Too

The 3 Enormous Powers The FTC Has That Can Change Your Life – And Your Family’s Life – Forever!

How to Avoid FTC Claims When Collecting Leads With Optin Forms

3 Privacy Policy Mistakes Every Digital Marketer Is Making, And Why You’re In The FTC Crosshairs.

And Much More…

Remember: legal protection is a massively important part of your business, and it’s one you cannot afford to ignore any longer.

Go here to register for our next FREE training and make your business is FTC compliant today!

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It’s not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created. Neither the author nor FTC Guardian, Inc. is endorsed by the Federal Trade Commission.