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What Happens After Surprising DNA Test Results? (bloombergquint.com)
schwit1 shared an interesting article from Bloomberg:
Though genetic tests are frequently marketed as family-friendly entertainment, they sometimes wind up surfacing life-altering surprises. And when those surprises show up in someone's test results, the first move is often a call to customer service.... At 23andMe, those types of calls are so frequent that preparing for them is integrated into the company's months-long training program.... "We always try to steer the conversation toward the data, tell them that this is science," said Kent Hillyer, head of customer care for the genetic-testing firm 23andMe...
Lindsay Grove, a customer-care representative at 23andMe, still remembers one call in particular years later, a dad who took the test only to find out that his child was not, in fact, his child. At first, like most, he was just trying to figure out whether the results were accurate. So Grove explained the science behind the data. The customer then became somber and quiet. He questioned whether he should talk to his wife, and, if he did, how.... "That process of figuring out what to do next is very difficult for customers...."
Such emotional calls can take a toll on employees, too. That's perhaps inevitable when technology interfaces with such sensitive, personal information.... At 23andMe, Hillyer often encourages representatives to go for a walk after an intense call, or cracks open a bottle of wine to help them decompress. "We kind of do these internal therapy sessions,'' he said. "Here, maybe more so than most places, you have to be really supportive of each other."
Lindsay Grove, a customer-care representative at 23andMe, still remembers one call in particular years later, a dad who took the test only to find out that his child was not, in fact, his child. At first, like most, he was just trying to figure out whether the results were accurate. So Grove explained the science behind the data. The customer then became somber and quiet. He questioned whether he should talk to his wife, and, if he did, how.... "That process of figuring out what to do next is very difficult for customers...."
Such emotional calls can take a toll on employees, too. That's perhaps inevitable when technology interfaces with such sensitive, personal information.... At 23andMe, Hillyer often encourages representatives to go for a walk after an intense call, or cracks open a bottle of wine to help them decompress. "We kind of do these internal therapy sessions,'' he said. "Here, maybe more so than most places, you have to be really supportive of each other."
In case you have forgotten, last year there was a big scandal about 23andme employees adding african ancestry to test results to "screw with the racists": http://www.cracked.com/persona...
Maybe people don't like being lied to. It's not necessarily about the child. Having a child is a big step, and a responsibility that most men take seriously. Is it too much to ask that one doesn't lie to a man about the paternity of their child?
30% of paternity tests, not 30% of paternity tests done for a random selection of children ...
Do they deal with law enforcement?
You bet they do. That's why it's dangerous to give them your DNA. In fact you may inadvertently be compromising the genetic privacy of your children, their children, your nieces and nephews and their children, etc. All of them can be tracked down from the data point that you unwittingly provided. This is how the government tracked down the Golden State Killer and now that this new capability has been demonstrated it's only a matter of time before it becomes cheaper, faster and more widely available until every small police department has access to it and every incentive to use your DNA against you and your loved ones. The government is cunning, deceitful and untrustworthy. You cannot trust them or their intentions. Please consider carefully the consequences beyond your own privacy before you buy one of these genetic testing kits. The value of the information that you get from these services is minimal and the consequences may end up being worse than you ever imagined. If you thought Facebook was bad then just imagine what the government might do with your genetic information. Just say no to genetic testing this holiday season. It's not worth it.