DNA Privacy Policies
Ancestry states they use administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect personal information that is gathered. The protection varies based on what kind of information they have on a person. If the information is very sensitive it has more safeguards. A secure software is used to encrypt personal information and Ancestry claims they only partner with security companies that meet their standards. With that being said Ancestry never states what their security standards are or specific details on the safeguards in place. Within the same paragraph Ancestry says they cannot guarantee complete safety of information. also uses physical, technical, and administrative measures to prevent disclosure of personal information. has less information on their protective measures, but they are slightly more forthcoming with how they actually protect information. uses Secure Socket Layer technology to encrypt all connections to and from their website.
To register for Ancestry you have to input name, email address, profile image, age, location, and linked account usernames. The data that is collected besides DNA data is a person’s birthday and assigned sex at birth. It is similar in the sense that to register for an account information is required, but they ask for a bit more. They ask for a name, date of birth, billing address, shipping address, and contact information. For there is an option to add self-reported information like family history, gender, and health related information. For both sites this information is very interconnected with the person’s account and their information.
Ancestry states that they do not share individual personal information with third parties except what is described in their policy or with consent from the person. The website doesn’t come out and say that the data is or isn’t sold to other companies, but because of the statement “ As a result these companies will have access to or otherwise process your data… Vendors that assist in marketing and consumer research”. Ancestry also says they work with third-party partners for advertising purposes they collect and share personal information. has less information on their third parties and who they share information with, but they do say they do not share information with public databases, insurance companies, or employers. has this scary paragraph on their website saying “If we are involved in a bankruptcy, merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, your personal information may be accessed, sold, or transferred as part of that transaction”. They do say that the privacy policy will still apply once the information is transferred.
For law enforcement to gain access to data from Ancestry, they are required to gain the data through a valid legal process. To do this law enforcement needs to have a warrant, subpoena, etc. If law enforcement does get one, Ancestry will try to provide a notice in advance unless they are told not to. Ancestry does not allow law enforcement to use information to investigate crimes or identify human remains. Ancestry has no mention of no supplying information to health insurance companies. has the same policy regarding law enforcement. They can not gain access to information without a valid court order, subpoena, or search warrant. does state they do not share information with insurance companies.
Ancestry will retain personal information and the account until the person deletes it themselves. If a person has shared their information with other users then the information cannot be deleted, the other person will still have access to the data. If deletion of data is requested they will delete all genetic information from production, development, analytics, and research systems within 30 days. If destruction of biological samples is wanted a person has to contact member services. For the person has the ability to choose what they want via their account settings. A person can choose for their sample to not be stored, in that case it would be securely destroyed after analysis is complete. A person can also choose for their sample to be stored although they can change their mind at any time. A person can delete their account any time and they will automatically discard the sample.
After doing the research I don’t think I would entrust my genetic information to either of the companies. Both companies seem to just want profit and don’t really care what happens with personal information. They state their privacy policy to make people feel secure in their design to do a DNA test. I will admit it is cool to find out genetic information especially if you don’t know much. As a white girl with lineage that can be easily traced back I have no need for a DNA test. I don’t think one has better protections than the other. Last year 23andMe had a major data breach that lasted 5 months which is insane! That could have just as easily happened to Ancestry because it seems they use the same safeguards to protect the information.
Favorite Food
Stats are based on 1 large pickle
Fatty Acids
Palmitic and linolenic acids are the two predominant fatty acids. Pickles are considered essentially fat-free, meaning the amount of any fatty acid is very small. Palmitic – 16 carbons, saturated, monosaturated, no omega numbers, non-essential Linolenic- 18 carbons, unsaturated, polyunsaturated, omega 3, essential
Linolenic acid
Carbs
Main source- pickles, duh!! Around 3.3 grams of carbohydrates. There are natural sugars in cucumbers, but during the pickling process the fermentation of the vegetables break down most of the natural sugars. Pickles have .7 grams of glucose and .7 grams of fructose. Sugar is also added in the brine of pickles to give them flavor and balance out the acidity of the vinegar. The amount of sugar added is based on the brand. Cucumbers are not a starchy vegetable so pickles don’t have a significant amount of starch. Pickles have a small source of fiber.
Protein
Very little protein .68 grams Extremely small percentage of essential amino acids –
Arginine
Cystine- 2% DIV
Glycine
Proline
Tyrosine- 2% DIV
The ones without percentages have such small values that they are negligible.
Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamin K- good source, 20%
Calcium- 6%
Potassium- 3%
Iron- 2%
Potassium- 3%
Copper- 4%
Manganese- 4%
Vitamin C- 3%
Vitamin A- 1%
Phosphorus- 2%
Sodium- 40%
Vitamin B1- 5%
Vitamin B2- 6%
Vitamin B5- 5%
Pickles-1-1