A leading Covid-19 testing firm is planning to sell swabs containing customer’s DNA..
…Customers booking tests through the Express Test website were not clearly told their data would be used for purposes beyond Covid-19 testing..
(customers) were reportedly asked to tick a box agreeing to a 4,876-word privacy policy, which links to another document outlining its “research programme”.
Typically, analysis of sensitive medical information can only be carried out with explicit informed consent..
..Cignpost diagnostics, which has 71 walk-in locations across the UK, is reported to have delivered up to three million tests since June last year.
..the company retains data including “biological samples” and “the DNA obtained from such samples”, as well as “genetic information derived from processing your DNA sample … using various technologies such as genotyping and whole or partial genome sequencing”
The policy also says Cignpost may share customers’ DNA samples and other personal information with “collaborators” working with them or independently, including universities and private companies, and that it “may receive compensation” in return.
It is unclear how many samples have been stored by Cignpost or whether they have been sold or used for any research so far, but the policy says that data belonging to all those providing a swab is retained indefinitely. Source
