Your DNA Just Got Auctioned Off — and You Helped Them Do It

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Your DNA Just Got Auctioned Off — and You Helped Them Do It

So, it finally happened. 23andMe — once hailed as the pioneer of consumer DNA testing — has officially sold out. Literally. The bankrupt genomics company just handed over its entire genetic goldmine to pharmaceutical giant Regeneron for a cool $256 million. That treasure chest includes roughly 15 million genetic profiles voluntarily submitted by curious consumers looking to “discover their roots” or “optimize their health.”

And guess what? It’s gone. Out of your hands. Permanently.

While Regeneron claims they’ll honor privacy commitments and “deidentify” the data, let’s not pretend this is just about noble medical progress. This is a for-profit pharmaceutical company — one that makes and sells drugs. The implications aren’t just unsettling. They’re seismic.

So, What Can They Do With Your DNA?

• Design patented drugs using trends found in your genetic code — drugs you’ll probably have to pay full price for.
• Map genetic lineages of you and your relatives, even if your relatives never consented.
• Predict disease patterns and monetize risk models for insurers, governments, or private health platforms.
• Develop bioproducts or therapies that disproportionately benefit investors, not contributors.
• Fuel future AI diagnostics where your DNA could train medical models — without a cent coming back to you.

But I Consented, Right?

Sure, you checked a box. Maybe even two. But that “consent” didn’t foresee bankruptcy, data liquidation, or a scenario where your biological fingerprint becomes a business asset. People didn’t sign up to be a biobank commodity. They signed up for ancestry reports.

And yet, here we are. A pharmaceutical company now owns more genetic data than most governments.

The Bigger Picture

Data privacy experts have warned us for years: biometric data isn’t like a password — you can’t change it. Once it’s out, it’s out. Permanently. And as predictive health, AI medicine, and bio-surveillance tools evolve, the power of this kind of data will only grow.

Imagine a future where your DNA influences:

• Job offers
• Insurance rates
• Medical treatment options
• Reproductive rights
• Criminal investigations

Sound paranoid? Maybe. But 10 years ago, giving your saliva to a company sounded futuristic too. Now it’s a business model.

Lessons Learned

Don’t be shocked. Be informed. You are the product if the product is free — and sometimes even when it’s $99 and comes in a sleek little box.

If you’re lucky, the worst thing that happens is you become a case study. If you’re not, your DNA becomes a perpetual license to profit — for someone else.