Jenny Kleeman asks if an unprecedented data theft from at-home DNA testing company 23andMe was a racially motivated attack - and if our genetic code can ever be stored safely.
October 6th, 2023 - the day before Hamas launches its attack on Israel - a data set stolen from at-home DNA testing company 23andMe is posted on the dark web. A hacker under the username Golem claims it contains millions of data points relating to Ashkenazi Jews living globally. A vast repository of 23andMe's account holder's personal information is then offered to anyone willing to pay for it - including names, birth dates, genetic ancestry and location details. Not only is it 23andMe's biggest ever security breach but apparently it's been motivated by racism.
Jenny Kleeman recently confirmed her Ashkenazi Jewish identity through a 23andMe test. Her mum and dad had done so a few years previously. In this bonus episode of The Gift, Jenny investigates the 23andMe breach to discover what happened, who was targeted and if information as sensitive as our genetic code - including her own - can ever be stored safely.
Presenter: Jenny Kleeman
Producer: Conor Garrett
Commissioning Editor: Hugh Levinson
Executive Producer: Philip Sellars
Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett
Last on
Broadcasts
- Mon 12 Feb 2024 16:0091热爆 Radio 4
- Thu 21 Mar 2024 20:3091热爆 Radio 4
- Fri 4 Oct 2024 23:3091热爆 Radio 4 FM
Podcast
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The Gift
What happens when an online ancestry test reveals more than you bargained for?
