While DNA can tell you a lot about potential health issues, what makes up your family legacy are the stories, traditions, recipes, and memories that you create with your loved ones.
We’ve all seen the commercials and the TV shows where someone gets a DNA report from Ancestry or 23&Me. They learn that someone on their father’s side of the family was from Ireland, or that their great-great grandmother was instrumental in building a hospital in their home country.
These experiments are fun, and it is always great to know about your heritage. But what about the things that truly matter?
DNA Doesn't Tell a Complete Story
Think back to when you were younger. You would go visit your grandparents. They would tell stories of how they met, what the old country was like, and probably cook a delicious meal. While it is interesting to know that you are of Polish descent, or have a bit of Irish lineage, those aren’t the things that make you who you are.
It’s the stories your grandparents tell you. The way Grandma prepared a special dish during the holidays. The funny jokes your uncle told you that you weren’t supposed to hear at a young age. These are what shape your worldview, and give you a sense of belonging.
Your DNA Shouldn't Be For Sale...But it Is
Genealogy companies have made billions of dollars from the curiosity sparked by DNA. As technology has advanced, the information that can be mined from someone’s blood or saliva is more and more detailed and valuable.
What started as a noble venture has turned into a for-profit data mining system, where your information is sold to the likes of Pfizer, Moderna and even governments. While health care providers are governed by HIPPA and other legal regulations, the laws regulating 23andMe and Ancestry are practically nonexistent.
"Sometimes Americans or people around the globe don't even know the value of their DNA, [or] that it even has value...But it's your single, sole identifier of everything about you as a human being." -Bill Evanina, former Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center
The scary reality is that if your DNA ends up being sold, there is absolutely no real way to know what it is being used for. Much like giant tech companies such as Meta and Google sell your information to advertisers, these genealogy companies are selling your DNA data to huge biotech and pharmaceutical companies for billions of dollars in profit.
You Shouldn’t Have to Give a Pint of Blood to Know Your Family History
Because we know that the things that truly matter are those human, interpersonal relationships in families and friendships, it is important to have a place to keep your family legacy alive. That’s where CircleIt comes in.
With CircleIt, you can preserve your family history for future generations, and also be there for your family long after you’re gone. Use our unique and modern family tree to learn about your ancestors, and share your personal story so your descendants can learn more about you.
Remember how it felt to go through old photo albums, and have your grandparents tell you stories about aunts, uncles, cousins and other relatives? Remember the sense of wonder when your grandfather would talk about his experience living through the Great Depression? Or how the family immigrated to make a better life? This is what informs who you are and gives your family history the rich details it needs to live on.
