Anne Wojcicki wife of Sergey Brin who is in charge of 23andMe.com (sorry no link love for you) is set to bring the company live this week. Here are the details via techcrunch:
23andMe will offer a genetic screening service for $999. The short story is that 23andMe will administer a test (presumably a swab or saliva test) that will take your DNA and screen it. In return you will be told your genetic history including whether you are likely to suffer from a range of diseases or similar life altering events, including heart disease.
So who cares right … well be for you sail off into oblivion know that Google invested 3.9 million dollars in the company in May. Does it creep you out that Google, who IMHO knows WAAAAAAYYYY more than anyone should about anyone else is connected to a company who tests your DNA? Remember kids you’re stuck with you’re DNA for life it’s not like an email, IP, or cookies you can jettison whenever you like.
Don’t tell there aren’t a few completely out of their mind eggheads at the plex who would love to connect your DNA with your Google account, for any number of purposes … at Google we really know who’s a 23 year old single female and who isn’t … did you know that 27% of the people clicking on your adsense are verified as men between 30-35 … personalized search for men over 50 can you say more Viagra ads …
There may be some nut jobs who want to live in a world where this is the reality:
A top intelligence official says it is time people in the United States changed their definition of privacy.
Privacy no longer can mean anonymity, says Donald Kerr, the principal deputy director of national intelligence. Instead, it should mean that government and businesses properly safeguards people’s private communications and financial information.
but I’m not one of them, I’m with Ben Franklin who said:
Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
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- Google Search Wiki – Like Forcing You To Eat The Heart of a Live Cobra Last week
{ 28 comments }
This is pretty fucking scary.
The trouble is, Google looks so friendly. But this is horror movie type stuff…
When you put it that way… the whole think does seem pretty freakin’ crazy….
On the DNA testing I personally think people are reading way more into this than is reasonable.
Firstly, the 23andme service is opt in ad at $999 there will be few people opting in. It isn’t as if 23andme operatives are following you around waiting for you to dump your disposable starbucks cup to take a swab from the rim.
Secondly, would Google be interested in the data? At this stage of our understanding there is relatively little it would add to their abilities to personalise, and hence monetise, their service. If DNA is going to be interesting to them it will need to tell them more than your age (DNA is actually very bad for this) and sex. If you are worried about that type of data getting out you might want to take another look at your social network profiles.
Looking at the second part of your post I’m more inclined to agree with you. I remember reading a while ago a short comparison of democracy/US constitution and communism. The point was that in communism protections are based on rules for what the government WILL do. In democracy/US constitution protections are based on rules of what the government WON’T do.
It seems that things are slowly changing.
@johnathan agreed the price point puts it out of reach for most consumers but yes I think some people at G want to get their hands on it. If someone has characteristics that make them more predisposed to certain illnesses, diseases or medical conditions, wouldn’t showing them ads related to that be “useful”.
Heck I’m pretty honest that half of the things I put in my social networking profiles are made up, in facebook my religon is celtic animist for example. I’ve created the back story of it might be true and I might be making it up to mess with you, you never know, which is pretty much exactly how I want it.
I think it’s a difficult one to call. Even ignoring the price anyone who requests the test will likely want to research any concerning results extensively. Google would likely have the search logs and alerts. All the genetic data would add is that the searching was for themselves rather than a loved one.
There probably is value for them in disease information but they would have to play it carefully. I know I’m going to die (though hopefully not for 50+ years) but I don’t want to be reminded of the fact by unexpected adverts for caskets and prepaid funeral plans.
I think genetic data will get really interesting for Google (and any other company which sells to consumers) when we have a better understanding of how it effects behaviour. Our understanding of this area is still (thankfully) in its infancy though.
A celtic animist you say? How do you feel about the throwing of sheep?
If 23andme was the only company in this space, I would understand this, but it’s one of three. Navigenics has an alliance with Affymetrix which is the leader in the microarray space, so it’s not to be discounted and deCODE which also announced a similar service has been doing this for years.
Navigenics specifically targets disease-related SNPs (incidentally none of these companies are doing any sequencing at this point, just SNP genotyping).
Yes there are a lot of issues that need to be sorted out, but this whole Google thing if way overblown, and is the least of the issues at this time. I’m much more interested in finding out how insurance companies are going to come into the picture and how any genotyping information can be used for identifying therapies?
I have seen the future, and it is a dark place..
There’s a much more sinister motive behind this move, I’m certain – a two minute IM conversation proves it.
Seriously, I’d imagine it’s a fairly good move in the long run. Even if it’s used for informational awareness/ad serving/other profiteering purposes, knowing what’s in your DNA is the first step to changing what’s in your DNA.
Google Godhood™, coming fall of 2011.
Dude, you’re living in a world where college students would give up their right to vote for an iPod. You seriously think that most Americans put that much thought into their essential freedoms?
Agreed with Christine Okelly to some extent, but the hold that Google has can’t also be ignored!
Michael, the information Google collects will be used for profiling by Goverment agencies and Corporations.
Once integrated with DNA salaiva swab test, administared to all school children they will have a complete Human Algorithm.
Corporate hiring will be based on Google Human PR Algorithm…
gPC is another tool for controling the masses.
This is already being done in UK…
What happened to, “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!”
Michael, I just did a follow up on your story on my forum. You really need to check it out, you going to Freak Man! I found some Nasty S…
http://www.travelinasia.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5740
Holy shit! Google is just plain evil as far as I am concerned. Big Brother, how are ya…..
@graywolf
yeah, yeah… but what happens to my pagerank if I don’t give Google my spit?!
Then the WereWolf Google sucks you dry..:)
Great story. Google is out of control. People need to stop buying into that “don’t be evil” crap.
That Franlin quote is one of my favorite quotes.
This reminds of a movie I once saw…GATTACA.
-KB
Privacy Concerns:
https://www.23andme.com/about/privacy/
Tinfoil anyone? I got plenty of rolls down in the bunker.
clones anyone ?
Yeap, do a DNA analysis on Googlers and see if they are human or aliens…or maybe Adam and Matt are cloning themselves so they will have more duplicates to help with Google duplication..:)
clones anyone
Take your meds “Igor”!
Good questions though:
are clones considered duplicate?
does this make them not relevant?
if you are in a room of clones of yourself how do you find yourself?
=P
Just remember, Mr. Gray Wolf, that if you give Google your DNA sample then they really will find out that you’re really a sheep in Wolf’s clothing.
Can you say it three times?
Google does no evil.
Google does no evil.
Google does no evil.
Well
Google is symbol and universal tool of Linking with web. Everybody has got it self and want to work with the efficient tool.
And that what the Google is………..Respect.
http://www.clubdesi.co.nr
Michael – great post.
On a similar note of privacy, I don’t use G-mail b/c I just don’t trust em. I will also likely never use personalized search…it’s just way too much data – I don’t care how much they say they purge or how much control they give you. You enter, you type, you send – it’s theirs.
I can see a whole new side to google adwords: send my scary drug advertisement to people with the breast cancer gene, please! (shudder)
And yet you run Google ads on your site. =)
Nah, they’ll just co-opt your brain for a free implant. You’ll look at something and they’ll serve up a highly relevant advert. Download your memories every night in your g-sleep brain re-charger and further focus their ad relevance.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/03/03/google_founder_dreams_of_google/
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