Your DNA is a time bomb — and you lost control over it

Why you might regret giving your genetic code to a private company.

By now, you’ve probably seen the ads: “Find out where your ancestors came from!” “Discover your genetic superpowers!” “Unlock the secrets of your health!” Spit in a tube, mail it in, and within weeks, a company you’ve never met claims to give you the story of you.

It’s tempting, even thrilling. But few of us pause to think about why it’s also also deeply dangerous.

When you hand over your DNA to a private company, you’re not just buying a fun ancestry report. You’re giving away the most intimate, unchangeable map of your biology — your genetic code. Unlike your credit card number or password, your DNA can’t be reset. Once it’s out there, it’s out there forever.

Companies don’t stay private

And here’s the problem: private companies don’t stay private.

They get acquired. They go bankrupt. They IPO. They pivot. And when that happens, everything they own — including your genetic data — becomes an asset to be sold, merged, re-evaluated, or repurposed. You may have consented to one use under one set of terms, but corporate reshuffling doesn’t care. If the new owners want to sell that data to pharma…