Holding Our DNA Hostage – Like It Or Opt Out!
Are you kidding me? The email about the ftDNA relationships with the DNA of dead and wanted people has arrived from Mr Greenspan, as the saying goes, a day late and a dollar short. I will get the email added; folks can decide for themselves. Certainly late – but I thought again so condescending and totally missing the point. Besides, fear is relative.
This was not customer expectations for the privacy of Family Tree DNA.
We might all be in Gedmatch to help law enforcement – but Family Tree DNA was a sacred place of safety. And there we might not have as much open information with trees and… This is not something you should have decided for us. And then to belittle us by saying we could just opt out?
Opt out? Just because you want to find bad folks we can lose all we have invested in our genealogical research?
Not being notified was like being violated – just like the bad guys you will search for. We have to opt out – and lose.
With all the NPEs, are you not thinking just how many people are under your care in your database who have already lived through DNA trauma, many who are dealing with pregnancies from sometimes forced encounters? And now you thrust this on people – with no notice.
No notice?
And then you act like some G-d in saying, ‘there is nothing to fear?’ This is about trust – that you said you would notify us. And now it is about you saying we could OPT OUT
Opt out? really? And lose the main thing we came to ftDNA for in the first place?
There should have been an opportunity to opt into sharing with the police – –
before, that is – before we heard it from BuzzFeed.
The ‘opt out’ is like holding our investments hostage.
Previous:
When the story broke and I was stunned
When everything went wrong with DNA and Law Enforcement and others
https://cherielynnsherstory.com/2019/01/28/failed-forensics-when-it-did-not-work-as-it-should-have/
Update: I still have not found a proper link for the email to customers. I will find and add – I see lots of people who shared the email but I want to find one that i know is public for all. Also there is added in administration notes a request for us to choose our words carefully. Ironic, I wished they had chosen any words at all before BuzzFeed broke the story and then there would not likely have been concern and misunderstandings and misspeaking. So- In the event I have words that are wrong if ftDNA will please let me know and I will be happy to add anything they wish to say. AND wish they had said it before the fact not after a couple of days of crying over my vouching for a promise that ftDNA would never… not ever…
The New York Times has weighed in:
and adds: “…“Law enforcement has the ability to test DNA samples from crime scenes and upload the results into databases, like any other customer can, and it appears they have been doing it at other companies for the past year,” he said. “The distinction is that, according to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, we expect the FBI and law enforcement agencies to let us know when they submit something to our database.”…”
The mistakes have put innocent people behind bars
https://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/titles/erin-e-murphy/inside-the-cell/9781568584706/
Cherie Lynn's Herstory 
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