DNA testing companies agree to new data sharing rules

Genetic testing companies—including Ancestry and 23andMe—have agreed to new rules when it comes to sharing customers’ DNA with third-party companies, Fortune reported.

The new guidelines require the companies to receive “express consent” before providing genetic information to other companies, researchers or authorities. The new rules follow privacy warning issued by the Federal Trade Commission on the services.

The agreement comes just as 23andMe penned a $300 million contract with GlaxoSmithKline to allow access to the genetic information of 23andMe’s five million customers.

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Amy Baxter

Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."

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