Appearing in late March on Newsmax, Eric Eggers, VP of the Government Accountability Institute, talked about the recent bankruptcy of 23andMe, a DNA testing company, and data privacy concerns stemming from a potential sale of 15 million users’ genetic data. He warns of privacy risks, noting the data’s value to insurers and foreign entities like China, which could even exploit such information to help create targeted bioweapons.
Eggers critiques the lack of government foresight, comparing it to past failures. He highlights how Ancestry.com sold for $4.7 billion due to the value of its accumulated data. He questions the wisdom of those who choose to share their DNA with companies, citing his documentary, “The Creepy Line” about invasive data collection, urging caution as 23andMe’s assets hit the market.