Before you spit in the tube
Your DNA deserves a better privacy check than “I accept.”
A genome is durable, identifying information. Use this checklist before choosing a testing company or uploading raw DNA to a third-party service.
The 10 questions
- Can I download my raw data? What formats are provided and are there extra fees?
- Can I delete my account and genetic data? Is deletion permanent, and what data may legally be retained?
- Can I request destruction of my physical sample? Is sample retention automatic or optional?
- Is research participation opt-in or bundled into the main terms?
- Is relative matching optional? Can I participate in ancestry features without exposing myself to matching?
- Does the company sell, license, or otherwise share genetic or derived data? Read the definitions carefully.
- What happens after an acquisition, bankruptcy, or asset sale? Genetic databases can outlive the brand you originally trusted.
- How does the service handle law-enforcement requests? Look for a policy or transparency report, not vague reassurance.
- Is data encrypted and is multi-factor authentication available?
- If I upload a relative's DNA, do I actually have their permission?
A simple scoring habit
Prefer control you can verify.
Green flags
Separate research consent, explicit deletion controls, sample-destruction instructions, downloadable raw data, matching controls, clear law-enforcement language, and a policy that explains what happens in a sale or transfer.
Red flags
“We may use data to improve services” without useful limits, no obvious deletion path, no answer on sample retention, terms that can transfer genetic data with business assets, or a privacy policy that makes basic questions difficult to answer.
Local-first tool
Need to identify a raw DNA file?
The Test Your Genome File Inspector reads the selected file in your browser. The tool does not upload the file to our server.
Open File Inspector