Anonymous DNA Testing Is Here. But Who Wants It?
A new startup is catering to people who want more privacy—but that means giving up a chance to find relatives
Brianne Kirkpatrick interacts with plenty of people concerned about privacy. One time, when the licensed genetic counselor was helping a client look over potential relatives based on DNA matches in the ancestry website FamilyTree.com, she found one with an unusual name: “Not Saying.”
In mid-September, the startup Nebula Genomics announced it would be offering anonymous gene sequencing, which allows consumers to get their DNA tested without ever personally identifying themselves. The company is capitalizing on growing consumer distrust of genetic testing companies and fears that the information people obtain about their disease risk might be used against them. Consumers buying anonymous genetic testing would, like other genetic testing consumers, likely be using the product to identify genetic markers of disease risk and ancestry — only without linking their genetic information to their identifying information. (Nebula is co-founded by Harvard geneticist George Church, who recently apologized for associations with Jeffrey Epstein.)
“People are beginning to care a lot more about what happens with…
