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In that case, all that happened was DNA kits that had opted out of matching with law enforcement were briefly (for about 3 hours I think) available to law enforcement for matching. Only if law enforcement were using Gedmatch in those brief hours would they have had access to opted out kits, and even then, only if an opted out kit matched with one of their own samples. The full and raw DNA profiles themselves were never exposed (law enforcement can only see the DNA that matches with any kits they manage, just like any other kit), or downloaded, or sold, etc.
Well, that has nothing to with DNA, and it only indirectly has to do with Ancestry.com because they own RootsWeb, which is where the breach happened. RootsWeb doesn't host DNA.
FTDNA's dealing with law enforcement has definitely been a little questionable. But again, all this means is that law enforcement samples can be compared with user's kits to find relatives. The company did not sell full genetic profiles to Chinese, as was the original fear mongering claims, not even remotely close to anything like that. I've always said that if the law enforcement issue concerns people, they shouldn't have their DNA at any company that allows external uploads. AncestryDNA and 23andMe do not allow uploads, primarily for this reason, so law enforcement literally have no way to access the database without a court order or without illegally hacking it. AncestryDNA have actively rejected even court orders for access to the DNA database, because they put their user's privacy first.
5 Biggest Fear Mongering, more like. #2 for example. They detail how 23andMe doesn't share your data for research unless you specifically consent to it (and they're multiple options to consent to, so you could consent to one and not another), which is a good thing - but they're trying to claim it gives people a sense of "altruism" by consenting. As though giving people complete control and ownership over their own DNA is somehow tricking people into consenting? Give me a break. They're trying to take a positive thing (total control over our data) and make it sound bad. If you don't want your DNA shared for medical research, don't consent to it - but that kind of control and privacy doesn't jive with their fear mongering, so they have to twist it somehow. That's called gaslighting.
So, like I say, in none of these examples were DNA profiles download and sold to external companies or countries, especially without the user's consent. Try again.
In the last four years, my 23&Me results have changed wildly? Why? I downloaded the report and loaded it into GEDMatch a few months ago and GEDMatch came back with the original results, plus health results that 23&Me didn't detect (but was later diagnosed by doctors... I also did the health reports).
Does Ancestry's ancestry change wildly?
These companies are not as accurate as some people assume. There was a family in the nordic area that never moved and could trace their ancestors back father than most. They sent their DNA to one of the popular testing sites, and it showed they have all sorts of stuff they knew the never had.
So while it can give you an idea, I think they are in business to tell people they have X amount of various ancestors trying to get you hooked on their services.
Now if any of them can point out genetic markers that will aid in your health, that sounds like something worth it.
*Sigh*... same stuff as before. Again, mostly fear mongering and none of this proves there was ever a case of full DNA profiles being downloaded/sold, especially without the user's consent. Look, I'll save you some time - I'm pretty well informed on this topic, there's nothing you can show me that I haven't seen and evaluated before. Furthermore, privacy and security issues aren't what this topic was originally about, which means you're hijacking the topic.
...
I have a bunch of matches from Finland and absolutely no known connection to Finland so you might have a Red Herring just because of who is testing, but that is true everywhere.
Finland used to be a part of the Russian Empire; would make sense if you have some so called "Eastern European" origins?
Overall, it seems that all those DNA companies need to take some history and geography lessons.
There was no entity like "Eastern Europe" in history before 1945 except only politically in the minds of the so called "Western" countries.
None of the countries in the Eastern part of Europe identified with the name-ever!
They all are countries with a longer history than the US for example
The DNA companies should stop using these nonsencical descriptors -not scientific, there are better ways
These companies are not as accurate as some people assume. There was a family in the nordic area that never moved and could trace their ancestors back father than most. They sent their DNA to one of the popular testing sites, and it showed they have all sorts of stuff they knew the never had.
There were many traders roaming around in the middle ages bringing their wares and chromosomes to new and strange lands. Ahmad ibn Fadlan, from Baghdad, hung out with the Vikings. Marco Polo was in China for 17 years. He was not likely celibate that entire time. The Vikings took captives back to their home towns from all over Europe or wherever they went to rape and pillage. I don't think anyone can be 100% certain of their tree. I would also be stunned if any of the DNA test companies got everything exactly right. I recently had a change on my report from FTDNA that lists Malta/Sicily...crazy talk. But the Normans (Vikings) ruled Sicily for a while so maybe that works in an odd way.
PA2UK,
I entered this thread with little knowledge of the risks of sharing DNA information. Sarcastic and annoying comments have brought to light, for me, how dangerous and critical the sharing of DNA data has become! Thank you for that. I definitely see it differently now and realize that DNA should not be shared. There are credible sources out there with very good advice that warn of these dangers, but zero information that support that sharing DNA is safe.
{shrug} Everything has a risk. I used 23&me about 5 years ago, have had one update since then, and the numbers may have wiggled a little bit, but no drastic changes. All I really learned was that my paternal grandmother, who always claimed to be 1/4 native american, wasn't.
In the last four years, my 23&Me results have changed wildly? Why? I downloaded the report and loaded it into GEDMatch a few months ago and GEDMatch came back with the original results, plus health results that 23&Me didn't detect (but was later diagnosed by doctors... I also did the health reports).
Does Ancestry's ancestry change wildly?
I'm upset about how mine changed. My changes weren't just shifting percentages but entire populations. They "lost" my Sardinian! I was 6% Sardinian.
It's been a long standing joke in our family that "Christine (me) must be the milkman's kid!" That started after finding out that my blood type didn't match my parents nor my grandparents; I am Rh- & everybody else is Rh+. Plus I don't look like anybody in my family. The funny thing about saying that I am "the milkman's", is that I was born (& conceived) in Japan. So I would have to be a Japanese milkman's kid. When my 23&me came back showing that tiny % of Japanese, everybody got a real kick out of that.
But recently, 23&Me lost my very small percentage of Japanese.
Now my Greek/Balkan is looking much less actual Balkan & is pulling towards the Middle East & into the Aegean Islands. My Italian dropped from 16% to 2%! I wouldn't be surprised to find myself in Turkey pretty soon.
I lost my 1% "Unassigned" & it doesn't show my 7% Ashkenazi that GedMatch does.
Yes, I did Promethease! I guess I will never really know what dad is ethnicity wise and I will never know what mom-mom was. Dad says he's Italian because he was raised by an Italian family. I never connected with it and I rejected that religion when I was 11. I'm changing my religion and I guess at the end of the day, I can be whatever I want and ethnicity probably doesn't matter.
If you dad is still alive why not get a DNA test done, then you will know?
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I was 6% Sardinian. 
