Buying yourself online – an introduction to privacy issues with online DNA testing

Published at 13:23 on 21 Dec 2022

A free online webinar on February 8th 2023 by Dr Andelka M. Phillips – Senior Lecturer in Law, Science and Technology, TC Beirne School of Law, University of Queensland and Research Affiliate, Centre for Health, Law and Emerging Technologies (HeLEX), University of Oxford.

To register.

In this session Andelka will introduce the world of personal genomics (also known as direct-to-consumer genetic testing or DTC) and some of the issues these services raise for privacy and consumer protection.

It will cover:

The range of tests available
Privacy and other risks in this context
Issues you should consider before purchasing
And suggestions for reform

More information:

Consumers encounter contracts and privacy policies on most websites they visit and very few consumers actually read these documents.

This talk will introduce us to the world of personal genomics and the issues which the industry raises for privacy and consumer protection law. It will include discussion of the industry’s use of contracts to govern their relationships with consumers. Dr Phillips will also argue that a number of terms commonly included in these documents could be challenged on the grounds of unfairness. This talk will draw upon the book Buying Your Self on the Internet: Wrap Contracts and Personal Genomics, published by Edinburgh University Press in July 2019 as the first volume in their Future Law series.

Link to recent Conversation piece:
https://theconversation.com/at-home-dna-tests-just-arent-that-reliable-and-the-risks-may-outweigh-the-benefits-194349

Dr Andelka M. Phillips, bio:

Dr Phillips is a Senior Lecturer in Law, Science and Technology at the TC Beirne School of Law, University of Queensland and a Research Affiliate at the University of Oxford’s Centre for Health, Law and Emerging Technologies (HeLEX). Dr Phillips’ research interests are broadly in the areas of technology, health and privacy law, as well as consumer protection. She is particularly interested in the governance of new, emerging, and future technologies and their impacts on people, the environment, and the planet.

She is also interested in protection of privacy in digital environments and the impacts of technologies on children and vulnerable people. Her work also includes consideration of how privacy policies and online wrap contracts could be improved from both privacy/data protection and consumer protection perspectives; together with consideration of issues raised by dark patterns in web design; the Internet of Things; Artificial Intelligence and robotics; surveillance technologies; synthetic biology; cyber security; and responsible innovation.

Much of her recent research has been concerned with the regulation of the personal genomics industry and this is the subject of her book Buying Your Self on the Internet: Wrap Contracts and Personal Genomics, published by Edinburgh University Press as the first volume in its Future Law series. https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-buying-your-self-on-the-internet.html

Visit Dr Phillips’ personal website at: https://www.andelkamphillips.com
University profile page at UQ https://law.uq.edu.au/profile/17598/andelka-phillips
University researcher profile https://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/34067

To register.