Have You Taken A DNA Ethnicity Test?

[+ Avalon]

I did several years ago. It said 98% European. No surprise there. But it said I was also 2% South Asian. That would be India. That was a surprise! No family stories about that.

 

My guess it must Romani / Gypsy as they originated in India.

[MikeBiDude]

I did several years ago. It said 98% European. No surprise there. But it said I was also 2% South Asian. That would be India. That was a surprise! No family stories about that.

 

My guess it must Romani / Gypsy as they originated in India.

And now your DNA is accessible by law enforcement

[+ sniper]

When they say 1 or 2% anything take it with a huge grain of salt. They are looking at markers that are much more common in particular areas, not necessarily exclusive to those areas.

[JayCeeKy]

I took one of those DNA ethnicity tests recently and it stated that I was half Scotch and half bourbon.

[mike carey]

It said 98% European. No surprise there. But it said I was also 2% South Asian. That would be India.

The British were in India for 250 years. It's entirely possible that if you have British antecedents there could have been an Indian link in there somewhere. Those liaisons happened and are not always remembered beyond a few generations. In less enlightened times I can remember older people (such as my grandmother, who was born in 1893) referring to others having 'a touch of the tar brush' meaning they allegedly had some indigenous ancestry. The timeframe in Australia is far shorter than the British history in India, and there are first Australians who know of, and identify with their ethnicity but do not 'appear' to be indigenous. As noted above, there is also the possibility that it's an error in the margins of the test.

[+ Avalon]

The British were in India for 250 years. It's entirely possible that if you have British antecedents there could have been an Indian link in there somewhere. Those liaisons happened and are not always remembered beyond a few generations. In less enlightened times I can remember older people (such as my grandmother, who was born in 1893) referring to others having 'a touch of the tar brush' meaning they allegedly had some indigenous ancestry. The timeframe in Australia is far shorter than the British history in India, and there are first Australians who know of, and identify with their ethnicity but do not 'appear' to be indigenous. As noted above, there is also the possibility that it's an error in the margins of the test.

 

Interesting point. I once had a white female coworker who told me that she had Chinese heritage. She said that centuries ago the Emperor of China had sent an embassy to Europe. But it had taken so long to get there that one member of the delegation decided not to return. That was her ancestor.

 

A little Australia trivia. In the 19th century there was an American tycoon named Leland Stanford. His brother decided to go to Australia to seek his fame and fortune. He had planned to return to the USA but on the sea voyage to Australia he got so seasick that he could not face making a return voyage so he remained in Australia.

[Rudynate]

And now your DNA is accessible by law enforcement

 

 

Who said?

[MartyB]

I did several years ago. It said 98% European. No surprise there. But it said I was also 2% South Asian. That would be India. That was a surprise! No family stories about that.

 

My guess it must Romani / Gypsy as they originated in India.

Found out I have 5 % Greek and 5% Italian with my 90% Eskanazi Jew. I love this stuff. I watch Finding Your Roots all the time.

[Beancounter]

Who said?

 

https://splinternews.com/cops-are-asking-ancestry-com-and-23andme-for-their-cust-1793851927

 

Apparently ancestry.com and 23and me will turn your DNA results over to law enforcement under certain circumstances.

[jjkrkwood]

No I havent, but no need... I can just glance down and know, there aint no BLACK in me....(unfortunately)

[MikeBiDude]

Who said?

www.ancestry.com/cs/legal/lawenforcement

 

Law Enforcement Requests in the United States:

Ancestry will release basic subscriber information as defined in 18 USC § 2703©(2) about Ancestry users to law enforcement only in response to a valid trial, grand jury or administrative subpoena.

Ancestry will release additional account information or transactional information pertaining to an account (such as search terms, but not including the contents of communications) only in response to a court order issued pursuant to 18 USC § 2703(d).

Contents of communications and any data relating to the health or DNA of an Ancestry user will be released only pursuant to a valid search warrant from a government agency with proper jurisdiction.

If we receive a valid request under U.S. law to preserve records that constitute potentially relevant evidence in legal proceedings, we will preserve, but not disclose, a temporary snapshot of the relevant account records for 90 days pending service of valid legal process as described above.

[+ quoththeraven]

Who said?

I also find this questionable. Even if they know of the test, they should still need probable cause and a warrant to access it, just as they would if you refused a request from law enforcement.

 

Note the article above says test results are turned over as a result of a court order.

 

It seems naive to think law enforcement wouldn't pursue their own tests if there's no pre-existing one.

[+ Avalon]

No I havent, but no need... I can just glance down and know, there aint no BLACK in me....(unfortunately)

 

Can't always be too sure. This fellow found some African heritage.

 

Edited November 21, 2017 by Avalon

[+ WilliamM]

I already know my maternal grandparents were born in Scotland around the time of American civil war. and their respective parents were also born in Scotland. My dad's grandparents were also from Scotland.

 

(My mother was the youngest of eight children.)

Edited November 21, 2017 by WilliamM

[+ not2rowdy]

Privacy concerns. Be aware that you may lose control of your DNA sample.

 

The following link is a long read but fairly current. Near the end is a synopsis of various company privacy policies. Suggest at least going to:

 

P.12 and reading the “Areas of Concern” section.

P.19 and being comfortable with “Questions…to Ask…”

 

http://emerald.tufts.edu/~skrimsky/PDF/Ancestry%20DNA.PDF

[chirob]

My DNA ethnicity test said I'm part maple tree. I guess why I'm such a sap!

[gallahadesquire]

I took one of those DNA ethnicity tests recently and it stated that I was half Scotch and half bourbon.

 

UK and French. Nice combination.

[gallahadesquire]

My nephew had his DNA analyzed. We know our paternal history for at least 11 generations in North America.

 

He got a map ... with one little dot on it ... The UK. That was all.

[+ Avalon]

There's a fellow's blog I follow called "Geography Now". He is half Korean and half white. It is an interesting combination. Both his paternal and maternal grandfathers were white and his grandmothers Korean.

[Rudynate]

www.ancestry.com/cs/legal/lawenforcement

 

Law Enforcement Requests in the United States:

Ancestry will release basic subscriber information as defined in 18 USC § 2703©(2) about Ancestry users to law enforcement only in response to a valid trial, grand jury or administrative subpoena.

Ancestry will release additional account information or transactional information pertaining to an account (such as search terms, but not including the contents of communications) only in response to a court order issued pursuant to 18 USC § 2703(d).

Contents of communications and any data relating to the health or DNA of an Ancestry user will be released only pursuant to a valid search warrant from a government agency with proper jurisdiction.

If we receive a valid request under U.S. law to preserve records that constitute potentially relevant evidence in legal proceedings, we will preserve, but not disclose, a temporary snapshot of the relevant account records for 90 days pending service of valid legal process as described above.

 

 

So the information isn't available to law enforcement willy-nilly. There has to be probable cause.

[Rudynate]

I had a 23 and me profile done. It was very interesting. There has always been talk in our family of a native American ancestor generations ago. Based on circumstances, it did seem possible. But the 23 and me profile said my genetic information was 100% European. One native American I mentioned this to said that the assays available to consumers may not have been sensitive enough to detect the native American sequence(s). Otherwise, there were no surprises. My ancestry on the 23 and me profile came out exactly as expected.

[MikeBiDude]

So the information isn't available to law enforcement willy-nilly. There has to be probable cause.

Correct. But also consider is the Ancestry et al database any better protected than say Experian? Target?

 

I’m am so NOT a conspiracy theorist, but somehow this one strikes me as a future loose canon.

[Rudynate]

Correct. But also consider is the Ancestry et al database any better protected than say Experian? Target?

 

I would expect it would be. It's a new industry and they are completely aware of the privacy concerns surrounding genetic information. They don't want to give themselves an image problem straight out of the gate.

[+ Charlie]

As I understand it, DNA analysis can only tell you how your DNA matches up with the majority of people who live in a certain geographical region of the world today. That may be helpful if you are trying to find out where your ancestors may have lived at one time, but it is not much to go on.

[+ Keith30309]

Correct. But also consider is the Ancestry et al database any better protected than say Experian? Target?

 

I’m am so NOT a conspiracy theorist, but somehow this one strikes me as a future loose canon.

Yeah... I’m not sure there’s any advantage to me of having the most personally identifiable information possible about me in a database somewhere when I have no control whatsoever or even disclosure awareness to the extent that a third party wants me to have.

They promise they will remove it upon request but it’s like a photo on the web - once it’s out there it can never be retracted.