THE FAMILY IS NOW CONSIDERING A
LAWSUIT, SAYING THAT GRATE
SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN LOOSE.
IT'S WHAT MAKES YOU, YOU.
YOUR DNA.
BUT WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU
SIGNING UP FOR WHEN YOU TAKE A
HOME DNA TEST TO DISCOVER YOUR
PAST?
COULD RESULTS BE USED AGAINST
YOU LATER FOR THINGS LIKE
HEALTH, AND LIFE INSURANCE?
COULD YOU FIND YOURSELF IN THE
MIDDLE OF A POLICE
INVESTIGATION?
8 ON YOUR SIDE INVESTIGATOR
SHANNON BEHNKEN DUG INTO THE
FINE PRINT TO FIND OUT WHAT
LEGAL RISKS MAY LIE AHEAD.
Reporter: THERE'S A LOT OF
THINGS THAT COULD LIE AHEAD.
WE JUST SAW LAST WEEK, THERE
WAS A SUSPECTED SERIAL KILLER
ARRESTED USING DNA FROM A DNA
DATABASE, SO THIS IS VERY, VERY
TIMELY.
THIS NEWS, WELL, IT ADDS FUEL
TO THE PRIVACY DEBATE.
YOUR DNA INFORMATION, IT COULD
BE SUBPOENAED, STOLEN, OR SOLD
AS A COMMODITY.
A SIMPLE SWAB COULD BE YOUR KEY
TO DISCOVERING WHERE YOU CAME
FROM, AND POTENTIAL HEALTH
ISSUES.
THAT'S WHY SALES ARE SOARING
FOR DNA HOME TESTING KITS.
TO GET THOSE ANSWERS, YOU COULD
END UP SIGNING OVER SOME
RIGHTS.
CHECK OUT THIS CONSENT FORM FOR
ANCESTRY.COM.
98 PARAGRAPHS.
READING TIME?
10 MINUTES, 34 SECONDS.
DID YOU READ ALL OF THAT?
NO.
YOU DIDN'T READ THE FINE
PRINT?
NO, I DON'T READ FINE PRINT.
I SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES
LATER.
Reporter: THE PRIVACY RISK
WAS WORTH IT.
SHE FOUND HER BIRTH FAMILY IN
MONTHS.
VERY HAPPY I FOUND A FIRST
COUSIN, IT JUST GIVES YOU THE
FEEL OF COMPLETENESS.
Reporter: MILLIONS OF
AMERICANS HAVE DNA SAMPLES
STORED AT LABS FOR COMPANIES
LIKE ANCESTRY, AND 23 AND ME.
THAT INFORMATION IS AGGREGATED,
YOUR NAME REMOVED.
THEN IT'S TURNED INTO
DATABASES.
WHY?
MONEY.
WHAT TYPES OF COMPANIES WOULD
WANT TO BUY MY DNA INFORMATION?
INSURANCE COMPANIES.
MEDICAL TESTING COMPANIES.
Reporter: HERE'S WHY THAT
SHOULD CONCERN YOU.
THAT INFORMATION CAN BE USED
BY OTHERS TO MAKE DECISIONS
ABOUT EMPLOYMENT OR INSURANCE.
Reporter: CURRENT LAW
PROHIBITS INSURANCE COMPANIES
FROM USING GENETIC INFORMATION
TO DISCRIMINATE, BUT THAT DOES
NOT APPLY TO LIFE INSURANCE,
LONG TERM CARE, OR DISABILITY
PROVIDERS.
POPULAR 23 AND ME ADVERTISES
HEALTH INFORMATION, SO I DUG
THROUGH THEIR TERMS OF SERVICE,
TO FIND THEY DON'T EVEN SUGAR
COAT THE RISK.
GENETIC INFORMATION COULD BE
USED AGAINST YOUR INTERESTS.
MAYBE WHO YOUR GRANDPARENTS,
GREAT-GRANDPARENTS WERE.
Reporter: DREW SMITH
BELIEVES THOSE RISKS ARE LOW,
BUT SAYS EVERY TIME YOU SHARE
YOUR PERSONAL DATA, YOU EXPOSE
YOURSELF.
THERE'S NO 100% GUARANTEE IT
CAN'T BE HACKED OR OBTAIN.
THERE IS ALWAYS A RISK.
Reporter: ARE DNA ANSWERS
WORTH THE RISK TO YOUR PRIVACY?
CAROL WILL TELL YOU, IT DEPENDS
ON WHO YOU ARE.
YOU TAKE YOUR CHANCES.
WHAT'S THE PAY OFF?
FOR YOU, IT WAS WORTH THE
RISK.
IT WAS WORTH THE RISK TO ME,
VERY DEFINITELY.
Reporter: ANCESTRY.COM, AND
23 AND ME BOTH INSIST THEY
DON'T SELL DATA TO THIRD
PARTIES AND RETAILERS WITHOUT A
PARTY'S CONSENT.
WHAT ABOUT WHEN YOU GET THE
DATA?
COULD YOU END UP PUTTING YOUR
OWN DATA AT RISK INADVERTENTLY?
Reporter: THAT'S VERY SCARY,
YOU PUT IT ON YOUR COMPUTER,
AND SOMEONE CAN HACK INTO IT
THERE.
THAT'S WHY YOU NEED TO MAKE
SURE YOU READ THOSE TERMS OF
SERVICE, AND KNOW EXACTLY WHAT
YOU'RE GETTING YOURSELF INTO.
ONCE YOU GET THE DATA, IT'S
YOUR POSSIBILITY TO PROTECT IT.
AND SHARING WITH OTHER
RELATIVES, MAKING CONNECTIONS,
THAT'S HOW YOU GET IT OUT
THERE.
Reporter: THAT'S WHY YOU DO
IT IN THE FIRST PLACE.