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Washington, D.C. November 30, 2020 Today Consumer Federation of America released a new report,Marketing Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing: Are Consumers Getting What They Think They Are?It examines the claims direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing companies make for these services, the information they provide to consumers about them, the variance of results from one company to another, the up-selling that occurs, and the companies terms of service and privacy policies. With the holidays coming up and DTC genetic testing companies promoting their services as the perfect gift, we wanted to help educate consumers about the benefits, limitations, and risks of these tests, said report author, Susan Grant, CFAs Director of Consumer Protection and Privacy. Nick Roper, Administrative and Advocacy Associate at CFA, assisted her with the research.

Conducted with a grant from the Rose Foundation, the study focused on six companies: 23andMe, Ancestry, FamilyTreeDNA, HomeDNA, LivingDNA, and MyHeritage. In order to compare the results, CFAs Grant took the basic ancestry tests from each company. We found that theres much about these tests consumers may not realize, said Grant. They need to be better informed and better protected.

What the CFA Study Found

Consumers might be surprised to know that most DTC genetic tests are not reviewed by the government before theyre marketed to confirm the claims made for them, their accuracy, or their validity, said Grant. There is a lot of helpful information on DTC genetic testing companies websites about genetics and how their services work, but were concerned that not many consumers will delve into it and assume theyll get more detailed and conclusive results than they actually will.

Recommendations

On the basis of the study, CFA made these recommendations:

DTC genetic testing companies should refrain from making specific accuracy claims.

In conjunction with the report, CFA released tips for consumers,9 Questions and Answers about DTC Genetic Testing.The full report ishere. A shorter version of the report is availablehere.

Read the original:
Are Consumers Getting What They Think They Are with Genetic Testing? - YubaNet

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