23andMe Pledges New Privacy Guidelines

23andMe Pledges New
Privacy Guidelines Home DNA-testing company 23andMe, and other similar companies,have pledged new privacy guidelines in regard to genetic data. The Privacy Best Practices for Consumer Genetic Testing Services guidelines were developed by the Future of Privacy Forum. Other home DNA-testing companies have agreed to the guidelines, such as Ancestry, Helix, MyHeritage and Habit. The companies have agreed to get express consent from consumers when they share genetic data to third parties. Transparency must be ensured in regard to how that data is used and shared. The agreement comes a week after 23andMe signed a deal with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, allowing GSK access to 23andMe's database of DNA. Peter Pitts, Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, via 'TIME'