DNA and GENEALOGY....
I've encountered a lot of people lately who do not know the difference between GENETICS and GENEALOGY... If I say I'm a genealogist, they think I'm a geneticist, in medicine. People ask me about DNA companies and tests. I find myself having to explain, "I do research to trace a family heritage using archival documents. I don't recommend or advertise for any database company or DNA collection."
I tell everyone READ the FINE PRINT, especially to see if the company makes any statement/ contract about HOW LONG YOUR DNA PRIVACY and OWNERSHIP is granted, if at all.
Also, I love those genealogy shows in which celebrities have their research done for them which sometimes go way back after the paper trail ends using DNA, but please realize that those shows often rely not on one genealogist but very many of them, many niche experts, and twenty minutes of show may be the results of thousands of hours of research.
I've been asked if I personally have done any DNA tests and the answer is no. I'm quite certain of my own heritage and also satisfied with my own, extensive, genealogy research, which has reached the end of paper trails on very many lines.
I also feel strongly that there are many ways to be part of a family, including choosing individuals who are not related to you by blood or marriage as a family of choice, which some people do in adulthood when their own heritage family has died or is no longer in their life. A family of choice may have nothing to do with sex, sexuality, romantic love, pair bonding, parenting, or any of the usual, traditional ways of being or making family. And if that sounds too futuristic, well, I've been reminded of this truth by someone I'm distantly related to who has fostered very many children as well as having adopted several.
Another big influence on my personal choice and advisement about DNA tests is that about half the people who have told me of their experience in the last year have gotten information that was unexpected, information that caused them to have to inform their entire family of "truths" about ancestors that was unexpected, if not life-changing, but did not challenge their notion of the family experience as they know it. How important is it if grandma had an affair, the Scottish clan you thought you belonged to was the wrong Scottish clan, or you're not really Native American, if you have had what really matters? What really matters is how you were raised, if you had loving parents, if you have had or have the experience of being part of a good family. (I won't get into genetics and DNA regarding medical conditions here but genetic tendencies don't always lead to manifesting a disease or a mental illness.)
Also I know people who have taken two or more tests with different companies meaning they felt they could not trust the results of one company, and they express confusion over differing test results as well as notifications that the results have changed. DNA TESTING COMPANIES FOR ETHNICITY USE A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS THAT CAN CHANGE AS MORE DATA IS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION. So now they have their DNA out there in two or more databases which to me means it's ever more likely that their relatives, including those who come after them are also are potentially violated, even those not yet born to give any permission.
But also I have concerns about privacy in general. It seems a lot of people, especially those who were raised from childhood when Internet became the thing along with cell phone photography and social networking do not seem to have a clue about the importance of privacy, perhaps because they've never lived with it. All these technological inventions are supposed to be TOOLS to make our lives better and easier, TOOLS we USE, with many choices to make, choices to be made with human considerations, not technologies to dominate or control our lives.
So, while I do think you should have a CHOICE, until that choice and other issues are made more clear, I suggest you give a lot of thought to joining in. If you've already done so, reread the fine print, and stay up on any changes. For instance, what happens if the company sells their DNA database? What if they sell it to a company that is in medical research or the development of prescription drugs? What does the company say about the use of their databases for the purposes of detective work beyond ethnicity or family heritage? What happens if you step away, loose interest, don't monitor what's going on?
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