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DNA-Based Advertising Redefines Commercial "Ad-Targeting"

An anonymous reader writes: Hidden among the customary disclaimers about how the website intends to use the information it holds about you, ancestry.com states that it reserves the right to leverage the genotyping tests of users (who have contributed their DNA to AncestryDNA research) in order to serve back 'relevant' advertising via the site. Critics of the clause believe that the site's promise to delete a user's genome on request is devalued both by the possibility of data breaches and by the fact that data brokers and other third parties are both unlikely to honor (or even know about) removal requests, and are likely to improve at leveraging genetic information in the future.

31 comments

  1. EULA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I always write my own terms when i visit websites and include them in the HTTP request. When I visited ancestry.com for example, it included the statement "by transmitting HTML content to my computer, you hereby agree to allow me to grind your teeth down with a tool of my choice".

  2. So the lesson is by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't let your private data out even if you think it's worthless to anyone else today. In other words, for goodness' sake think before you give third parties any information at all.

  3. Re:They're Mormans... by turkeydance · · Score: 1

    Maroons. as in: "what a Maroon." cite: Bugs Bunny link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_Kh7nLplWo

  4. The ultimate identity theft! by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 2

    1) Tell a person that he might be a descendant of ancient Irish Kings.
    2) Collect a DNA sample to verify.
    3) Clone the person, from the DNA sample.
    4) Kill the original person, and replace him with the clone.
    5) Instruct the clone to change his last will and testament, leaving all his wealth to you.
    6) Kill the clone, making it look like an accident.

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    1. Re:The ultimate identity theft! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1) Tell a person that he might be a descendant of ancient Irish Kings.
      2) Collect a DNA sample to verify.
      3) Clone the person, from the DNA sample.
      4) Somehow magically make the person age n years in a matter of days
      5) Somehow magically apply all the nurture the person ever received to the clone so that it will actually be similar to the person (including things like handwriting)
      6) Kill the original person, and replace him with the clone.
      7) Instruct the clone to change his last will and testament, leaving all his wealth to you.
      8) Instead of instructing the clone to kill itself, kill it yourself and make it look like an accident

    2. Re:The ultimate identity theft! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why do you have to go crushing peoples dreams like that?

    3. Re:The ultimate identity theft! by Cro+Magnon · · Score: 1

      1) Tell a person that he might be a descendant of ancient Irish Kings.
      2) Collect a DNA sample to verify.
      3) Clone the person, from the DNA sample.
      4) Somehow magically make the person age n years in a matter of days
      5) Somehow magically apply all the nurture the person ever received to the clone so that it will actually be similar to the person (including things like handwriting)
      6) Befriend the clone and get him to totally trust you. This is necessary for step 8, and will also help with step 9
      7) Kill the original person, and replace him with the clone.
      8) Instruct the clone to change his last will and testament, leaving all his wealth to you.
      9) Instead of instructing the clone to kill itself, kill it yourself and make it look like an accident

      --
      Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
  5. Re:They're Mormans... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Macaroons - yummy!

  6. Advertising. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Please don't forget that in the beginning the product existed before advertising. Anyone who tells you that the product will disappear if advertising is blocked is a liar. The world will be a better place without advertising and its associated advertising industry.

  7. No, thank you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I will not willingly give a proxy to the Mormon Church my most intimate details. No, thank you. What ads? Any good IT guy blocks ads and has for at least 10 years. I've not seen an ad for about 10 years and have zero plans to allow them in future. The Mormons will be the last to get that green light. Well, maybe Hillary Clinton would be last.

    I lived in England for several years and knowing that I am of English stock, we paid a British genealogy firm a very fair sum to dig up my family details and was shocked at how much data there was. We were presented with a packet about an inch thick with all manner of info. This was made easier, I'm sure, by the fact that my father was born in England and immigrated to the states. My family name was traced back to the early 1300s in County Cork in Ireland where my ancestors were makers of armor.

  8. greedy bastards by swell · · Score: 1

    Advertising? It is my impression that Ancestry requires members to pay dues. Why would you pay and still be faced with advertising? Most services are supported by one or the other.

    I have a long family history that has been published in a book with occasional updates for over a century. AFAIK, they don't have most of this info. I considered exchanging my information for whatever the Mormons might have to add to it. But the more I learn about them, the less inclined I am to give them anything. They gather our information and lock it up behind a paywall. You pay to give it, you pay to get it. We need an Open Source (wiki?) approach to public record sharing.

    --
    ...omphaloskepsis often...
    1. Re:greedy bastards by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Mormons' information is at familysearch.org. No paywall there.

      Ancestry.com is a private business. I think the owners are Mormons, but their church doesn't own the site.

    2. Re:greedy bastards by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ancestry.com is one of several Genealogical Sites either owned by, or associated with, the Mormon Church.
      If it involves Genealogy, and if it is Online, the Latter Day Stains have their grubby hands in it.
      Make no mistake, this has nothing to do with Funny Underwear or Back-Baptizing- they are in it soully for the Money.
      This may not be a bad thing. The Bank that I have done Business with for four decades was owned by the Mormons for a few years, and they did OK by me. It's now owned by a bunch of Southern California Real Estate Con-Men, and I'm thinking of now moving my Accounts elsewhere.

      Religion is really entrenched in Business these days; if you like crappy Sushi, the Moonies will feed it to you, and if you buy absurdly expensive Fashion Eyeglasses, well, the Vatican bankrolls Luxottica. (To truly understand how Evil Luxottica is, I refer you to the Vision of Josh Silver, a gentle, decent, Atomic Physicist now retired, who had this idea about giving away cheap Universal Eyeglasses to the World. (He collaborated with Walter Alvarez, who shared this Vision.) The Company that he founded is now owned by Luxottica, and the Company Website now doesn't even mention him.)

      The Mormons actually aren't too awful; there are Worse. But they have _none_ of our Family History, of which I am the sole sterile Survivor. I don't trust them with it, and neither should You.

  9. Business is business by Earthquake+Retrofit · · Score: 4, Funny

    Identifying people genetically predisposed to be suckers is the bread and butter of business. Getting them to pay for the privilege of being taken to cleaners is icing on the cake.

    --
    Fifty years of Yippie! 1968-2018
  10. DNA swap meet by sociocapitalist · · Score: 1

    Swap parties - exchange your DNA for someone else at random, everyone pays for one DNA analysis and exchanges the analysis with their random swap partner.

    Just to fuck up these companies who want to own us.

    --
    blindly antisocialist = antisocial
  11. Advertisers cull. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    At this point in history we really need to have a huge cull of anyone involved in the "advertising" industry.

    What do they contribute to society ? Sneakiness, total lack of respect for people, etc. etc. etc.

    The planet would be better without their kind on it.

  12. Interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not being human I'm curious to see what advertising they would consider relevant.

    Oops...did I write that out loud?

  13. Ads infect us & slow us down, so by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

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    ---

    "The premise is quite simple: Take something designed by nature & reprogram it to make it work for the body rather than against it..." - Dr. Alice Krippen: "I am legend"...

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  14. AdBlock+ = inferior & 'souled-out' vs. hosts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Can adblock+ do 16 things hosts do for speed, security, & reliability:

    1.) Protect vs. malicious sites/servers (past ads)
    2.) Protect vs. fastflux botnets + stop C&C communique
    3.) Protect vs. dynamic dns botnets + stop C&C communique
    4.) Protect vs. DGA botnets + stop C&C communique
    5.) Protect vs. downed DNS (adds reliability)
    6.) Protect vs. DNS redirect poisoned dns
    7.) Protect vs. trackers
    8.) Protect vs. spam
    9.) Protect vs. phish
    10.) Protect vs. caps
    11.) Get you past a dnsbl
    12.) Keep you off dns request logs
    13.) Speed up surfing by adblocks & hardcoded fav. sites
    14.) Work on anything webbound (ie email programs) multiplatform.
    15.) Give you easily controlled data
    16.) Do all that & block ads better than addons more efficiently in cpu cycles + memory usage

    * ANSWER ="NO" to each above on ab+ doing it as well or @ ALL + hosts = already on every device natively.

    APK

    P.S.=> Ab+ does less than hosts & less efficiently - hosts do MORE w/ less + Hosts start w/ the IP stack before REDUNDANT inefficient addons BEGIN to operate (as 1st resolver queried):

    Ab+'s 128mb memory inefficiency http://cdn.ghacks.net/wp-conte... (hosts consume 3-11mb using my program initially).

    +

    ClarityRay defeats it by dumping addons in use in a browser via native browser methods!

    +

    Ab+'s paid to not do its job http://www.businessinsider.com...

    Ab+ adds complexity from a slower mode of operations (usermode = more messagepassing overheads vs. hosts in kernelmode).

    What's best?

    APK Hosts File Engine 9.0++ SR-2 32/64-bit http://start64.com/index.php?o...

    MalwareBytes' hpHosts Admin (MalwareBytes employee) hosts & recommends it http://hosts-file.net/?s=Downl... & MalwareBytes = BEST antivirus http://www.av-test.org/en/news...

    &

    It's GUARANTEED safe & clean per it being checked by 57 antivirus programs recently in BOTH its 64-bit model https://www.virustotal.com/en/...

    +

    In its 32-bit model too https://www.virustotal.com/en/...

    ... apk

  15. Ublock = inferior & inefficient vs. hosts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Can ublock do 16 things hosts do for speed, security, & reliability:

    1.) Protect vs. malicious sites (past ads)
    2.) Protect vs. fastflux botnets + stop C&C communique
    3.) Protect vs. dyndns botnets + stop C&C communique
    4.) Protect vs. DGA botnets + stop C&C communique
    5.) Protect vs. downed DNS (4 reliability)
    6.) Protect vs. redirect poisoned dns
    7.) Protect vs. trackers
    8.) Protect vs. spam
    9.) Protect vs. phishing
    10.) Protect vs. caps
    11.) Get you by dnsbl
    12.) Keep you off dns request logs
    13.) Speed up surfing by adblocks & hardcoded favs
    14.) Work on anything webbound (ie email programs) multiplatform.
    15.) Give you easily controlled data
    16.) Do those & block ads better than addons more efficiently in cpu + memory use

    * ANSWER ="NO" to each on UBlock doing it as well or @ all!

    APK

    P.S.=> UBlock does less than hosts & less efficiently - hosts do MORE w/ less + Hosts start w/ the IP stack before REDUNDANT inefficient addons BEGIN to operate (as 1st resolver queried):

    Ublock's NOT as efficient:

    Hosts @ 3mb-11mb w/ current data vs. threats + ads - test yourself using my program.

    UBlock uses 63++ MB -> http://www.ghacks.net/2014/06/...

    SCREENSHOT -> http://cdn.ghacks.net/wp-conte...

    +

    ClarityRay defeats it detecting it by dumping addons in use in a browser via native browser methods to do so!

    +

    UBlock adds complexity/room for breakdown/exploit + from a slower mode of operations (usermode = more messagepassing overheads vs. hosts in kernelmode).

    What's better?

    APK Hosts File Engine 9.0++ SR-2 32/64-bit -> http://start64.com/index.php?o...

    MalwareBytes' hpHosts Admin (MalwareBytes employee) hosts & recommends it -> http://hosts-file.net/?s=Downl... & MalwareBytes = BEST antivirus http://www.av-test.org/en/news...

    It's GUARANTEED safe & clean per it being checked by 57 antivirus programs recently in BOTH its 64-bit model https://www.virustotal.com/en/...

    +

    In its 32-bit model also https://www.virustotal.com/en/...

    ... apk

  16. Ghostery = 'souled-out' & inferior vs. hosts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Can ghostery do 16 things hosts do for speed, security, & reliability:

    1.) Protect vs. malicious sites (past ads)
    2.) Protect vs. fastflux botnets + stop communique to C&C servers
    3.) Protect vs. dynamic dns botnets + stop communique to C&C servers
    4.) Protect vs. DGA botnets + stop communique to C&C servers
    5.) Protect vs. downed DNS (reliability)
    6.) Protect vs. DNS redirect poisoned dns
    7.) Protect vs. trackers
    8.) Protect vs. spam
    9.) Protect vs. phishing
    10.) Protect vs. bandwidth caps
    11.) Get you by a dnsbl
    12.) Keep you off dns request logs
    13.) Speed up surfing by adblocks & hardcoded fav. sites
    14.) Work on anything webbound (e.g. stand-alone email programs) multiplatform.
    15.) Give you easily controlled data
    16.) Block ads more efficiently in cpu + memory use vs. addons

    * ANSWER ="NO" to each on Ghostery doing all that let alone as well as hosts do!

    APK

    P.S.=> Addons do FAR less than hosts do & FAR less efficiently - hosts by way of comparison, do MORE w/ less + Hosts start w/ the IP stack before REDUNDANT inefficient addons BEGIN to operate (as 1st resolver queried):

    Ghostery (Advertiser owned) - "Fox guards henhouse" -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G...

    Addons add complexity/room for breakdown/exploit + from a slower mode of operations (usermode = more messagepassing overheads vs. hosts in kernelmode).

    ClarityRay DETECTS browser addons like Ghostery & blocks them (not hosts) via native browser methods.

    What's better than ghostery by FAR?

    APK Hosts File Engine 9.0++ SR-2 32/64-bit -> http://start64.com/index.php?o...

    MalwareBytes' hpHosts Admin (MalwareBytes employee) hosts & recommends it -> http://hosts-file.net/?s=Downl... & MalwareBytes = BEST antivirus http://www.av-test.org/en/news...

    &

    It's GUARANTEED safe & clean per it being checked by 57 antivirus programs recently in BOTH its 64-bit model https://www.virustotal.com/en/...

    +

    In its 32-bit model also https://www.virustotal.com/en/...

    ... apk

  17. PrivacyBadger = ABP code & inferior vs. hosts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Can PrivacyBadger do 16 things hosts do for speed, security, & reliability:

    1.) Protect vs. malicious sites/servers (past ads)
    2.) Protect vs. fastflux botnets + stop C&C communique
    3.) Protect vs. dynamic dns botnets + stop C&C communique
    4.) Protect vs. DGA botnets + stop C&C communique
    5.) Protect vs. downed DNS (adds reliability)
    6.) Protect vs. DNS redirect poisoned dns
    7.) Protect vs. trackers
    8.) Protect vs. spam
    9.) Protect vs. phish
    10.) Protect vs. caps
    11.) Get you past a dnsbl
    12.) Keep you off dns request logs
    13.) Speed up surfing by adblocks & hardcoded fav. sites
    14.) Work on anything webbound (ie email programs) multiplatform.
    15.) Give you easily controlled data
    16.) Do all that & block ads better than addons more efficiently in cpu cycles + memory usage

    * ANSWER ="NO" to each above on PrivacyBadger doing it as well or @ ALL + hosts = already on every device natively.

    APK

    P.S.=> PrivacyBadger does less than hosts & less efficiently - hosts do MORE w/ less + Hosts start w/ the IP stack before REDUNDANT inefficient addons BEGIN to operate (as 1st resolver queried):

    PrivacyBadger's Adblock+ codebase 128mb memory inefficiency http://cdn.ghacks.net/wp-conte... (hosts consume 3-11mb using my program initially).

    +

    ClarityRay defeats it by dumping addons in use in a browser via native browser methods!

    +

    PrivacyBadger adds complexity from a slower mode of operations (usermode = more messagepassing overheads vs. hosts in kernelmode).

    What's best?

    APK Hosts File Engine 9.0++ SR-2 32/64-bit http://start64.com/index.php?o...

    MalwareBytes' hpHosts Admin (MalwareBytes employee) hosts & recommends it http://hosts-file.net/?s=Downl... & MalwareBytes = BEST antivirus http://www.av-test.org/en/news...

    &

    It's GUARANTEED safe & clean per it being checked by 57 antivirus programs recently in BOTH its 64-bit model https://www.virustotal.com/en/...

    +

    In its 32-bit model too https://www.virustotal.com/en/...

    ... apk