The planned giveaway of DNA testing kits from Orig3n at a Baltimore Ravens game was halted due to concerns about privacy and the certification of the company's labs, Gizmodo reports.
Orig3n had been planning to give away gene-testing kits to 55,000 people attending the game, it adds. As the Scan reported, the company was to test four genes, including one linked to power and sprinting ability, and participating fans were to then register with Orig3n to find out their results. The promotional plan raised some eyebrows prior to the game.
Gizmodo notes that company's privacy policy originally indicated that Orig3n might share data with third parties. "The privacy policy stated that the company could keep any information obtained for as long as they wanted and they could share it in any way," Bradley Shear, a Maryland sports privacy lawyer, tells ESPN.
The giveaway plan also caught the attention of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Maryland Department of Health. CMS questioned whether Orig3n's lab had the proper CLIA certification to conduct such testing, Gizmodo reports. A Maryland official also noted that there could be applicable state laws as well, the Baltimore Sun adds.
Orig3n has said that DNA Day would be rescheduled, the Sun notes.