In a very clever, somewhat clandestine publicity stunt, Google co-founder Sergey Brin revealed he has a genetic mutation which makes him pre-disposed to Parkinson’s disease. While you may be wondering how an announcement about a potentially life threatening genetic trait could be perceived as a cunning stunt and how Sergy’s public statement is essentially a wolf in sheep’s clothing, you must understand the connection between Google, Sergy Brin, Anne Wojcicki and the biotechnology company 23andMe.
For the last few years, Sergy Brin has been practicing high wire moves, looking for an opportunity to drum up support for a company co-founded by his wife, Anne Wojcicki, an online company selling $399 genome-wide DNA tests, a company in which Google has invested $3.9M venture capital and a company which is also backed by Genentech. Amidst all the other news being released by Google during the last few weeks, Sergy must have believed now was the time to slip in the sympathy ploy with a dose of blatant self-promotion for 23andMe.
Quite clearly, Sergy’s revelation will stimulate an outpouring of emotions from fanboys and fangirls across the globe, many who will sympathize with Mr. Brin’s genetic predicament. They will bemuse the genetic evidence without ever knowing the true motives behind this dog and pony show, while hidden away in a Mountain View, California laboratory a plot to catalog human DNA is being hatched. Could 23andMe allow Google access to millions of unwitting consumers DNA and genetic traits? Traits that include a dozen diseases and conditions such as Parkinson’s, breast cancer, Crohn’s disease, and lactose intolerance.
The Times Online reports :
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Sergey Brin, one of the co-founders of Google, has revealed that he has a genetic mutation which increases his chances of contracting Parkinson’s disease.
Writing on a personal blog that was launched yesterday, Mr Brin, 35, said he made the discovery following a genetic test. He wrote: “The exact implications of this are not entirely clear,” but added: “Nonetheless it is clear that I have a markedly higher chance of developing Parkinson’s in my lifetime than the average person.” …. Mr Brin made the discovery through the DNA company 23andMe, a firm that his wife co-founded. Google invested almost $4m in the company last year. |
A very minimal profile on Wikipedia brings to light certain legal issues faced by 23andMe in New York and California :
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In April 2008, New York State’s Department of Health sent warning letters to six online genetic testing companies, including 23andme, notifying them that they can neither offer New York state residents genetic tests without a permit nor without authorization from a doctor.
In June 2008, Calfornia’s Dept of Public Health issued ‘cease and desist’ letters to 23andme, among other genetic testing companies, notifying them to stop offering tests until they provide proof of state and federal clinical lab certification and until genetics test results are only issued when ordered directly by a physician. |
So why is 23andMe such a dangerous company? “The mission of 23andMe is to take the genetic revolution to a new level,” said 23andMe co-founder Linda Avey. She also stated “aggregated genomic data will eventually be made available to people outside 23andMe for study — but never sold.”
Privacy advocates have expressed concern over genetic testing which could lead to insurance companies manipulating data to deny health inurance for parents of children who are at potential higher risk of being born with genetic defects. While Sergy Brin and Anne Wojcicki have enough money to front medical expenses for an entire third world country, the average citizen is not so fortunate and must rely on coverage providers to help offset staggering medical expenses.
On the darker side, having one’s DNA in a database of a company financed by Google, a company privacy advocates worry greatly about, can (and will) lead to a more chilling scenarios of genetic profiling by government agencies, law enforcement and corporations. Genetic discrimination might also be another worry for humankind if these researchers try to tap into the genetic makeup of people in regards to their sexual preferences or other potentially discriminatory factors such as if a person is of a mixed racial background.
What do you think about Google, 23andMe, genetic profiling and your DNA ?
[…] Original post by Dave […]
Genetic profiling uses that they have collected and compare the samples to see if they are identical. This means if they get a sample from a serial killer and try to match it to other samples, they could say you have a makeup of a killer and arrest you or say you have a gay gene or other things. This is very evil and could be fixed to incriminate wrong people.
Genetic profiling and genetic discrimination have already raised eyebrows in Australia…
http://www.uq.edu.au/news/?article=5426
This is disgusting. Why would anybody go through 23andMe to get a DNA test? Can’t you have your doctor do one for you to see if you have potential defects ?
A very scary scenario indeed. Google is becoming far too large and it is frightening. I don’t understand why the US government doesn’t step in already and put a clamp on them. Search engine is one thing but this is too much.
[…] was a little surprised to see that while other bloggers (here, here, here, and here) have been arguing about whether or not the mutation really increases the risk to the degree […]