An Icelandic firm that offers private DNA testing to customers has filed for bankruptcy in the U.S., raising privacy concerns about the fate of customer DNA samples and records, according to the Times of London.
DeCODE Genetics, a genetics research firm, began offering personalized DNA testing through its deCODEme website two years ago. A customer mails in a sample taken from the inside of his cheek, and the service calculates the subject's genetic risk for disease -- cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, heart disease.
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"My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. Unless there are three other people." -Orson Welles
Today, at a local outpost of a large chain bookstore, the sprogs and I endeavored to spend some gift cards. Since this is a chain which does not make book-locator terminals available to browsing customers, we were waiting at the customer service desk.
I can't believe I didn't think of this first:
Posted to an internal newsgroup:
Customer: Hi there, I sent you two sample units last week so you could investigate our problem. Can you give us an update on your progress?
The paying customer should have a copy of the record and the rest should be destroyed, both the records and the samples.