Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) warns consumers that companies selling home DNA tests could, in turn, sell their customers' genetic information, the New York Post reports.
Schumer says that the terms of service of companies like 23andMe, Ancestry, and MyHeritage aren't always clear on what they may do with users' genetic data and that the agreements could allow companies to sell their customers' genetic information to third parties, NBC News adds.
"Now, this is sensitive information, and what those companies can do with all that data, our sensitive and deepest information, your genetics, is not clear and in some cases not fair and not right," Schumer says, according to NBC News.
Schumer calls on the Federal Trade Commission to make sure that consumer genetics companies' privacy policies are clear and fair, New York Post reports. He adds that he doesn't think the "industry is nefarious, it is just that they are brand new and they need safeguards."
NBC News notes that Schumer's remarks come as the 23andMe, Ancestry, and MyHeritage offer holiday shopping deals on their products.
In separate statements, 23andMe, Ancestry, and MyHeritage tell Fox Business that they do not sell consumers' information without their consent.