Stuart Leavenworth reports: For DNA testing companies, the genetic code that customers pay to have analysed is a gift that keeps on giving. Not only do these companies profit from DNA analysis, but they stand to make money for decades more marketing people’s data to the highest bidders. Ancestry, which controls a database of more…
Category: Misc
DNA testing is like the ‘Wild West’; should it be more tightly regulated?
Stuart Leavenworth reports: Millions of people are doing it. They spit into tubes and get their DNA analyzed. Testing companies are mushrooming, selling products to screen for diseases, connect customers to lost relatives or entertain people with the possibility they share some Neanderthal DNA. Equity firms are pouring fortunes into these companies, not just because…
Mary Meeker’s Annual Internet Report Includes Insights Into Privacy
Calvin Cohen of Covington & Burling writes: This past week, Mary Meeker presented her annual Internet Trends report for 2018 at the Code Conference. A copy of the slide deck is available here. The report is widely respected by industry experts, and this year’s presentation included a number of insights that industry stakeholders will find…
This Guy Is Selling All His Facebook Data on eBay
Daniel Oberhaus reports: Google and Facebook are two of the most valuable companies in the United States and the majority of their revenue is derived from selling advertisements. The reason that these giants of Silicon Valley are able to command a whopping three-quarters of the US ad market is because of the extensive amount of…