Here's the problem, and it's really depressing: even if you've never submitted your DNA to anyone, at any time, for any reason, ever, your DNA may very well still be in the system. How? All it takes is for ONE blood relative out there -- someone you may not even know, may not even realize exists (I have first cousins I've never met. And other cousins I haven't seen since 1971. We aren't a close family) -- who joined 23andMe or Ancestry, or committed a crime and now have their DNA logged into the national DB (CODIS/NDIS). And then you're screwed. So I'm going to go out on a limb here and make a guess: 98%+ of us are screwed.
There are a couple true crime shows out there, like The Genetic Detectives, where they solve cold cases by backtracking the DNA from the crime, finding the family tree, and narrowing it down until they find the only possible perpetrator even though his/her DNA isn't in any database. But a close family member's was, and that's all it takes! Solving such crimes also requires a lot of genealogical and archival research but, still, it wouldn't be possible without all those DNA databases out there.
Still want to voluntarily submit your DNA? Pfffft. Go ahead. It obviously doesn't matter, anyway.
Never give up your DNA willingly. You have no idea what they're doing.
Here's the problem, and it's really depressing: even if you've never submitted your DNA to anyone, at any time, for any reason, ever, your DNA may very well still be in the system. How? All it takes is for ONE blood relative out there -- someone you may not even know, may not even realize exists (I have first cousins I've never met. And other cousins I haven't seen since 1971. We aren't a close family) -- who joined 23andMe or Ancestry, or committed a crime and now have their DNA logged into the national DB (CODIS/NDIS). And then you're screwed. So I'm going to go out on a limb here and make a guess: 98%+ of us are screwed.
There are a couple true crime shows out there, like The Genetic Detectives, where they solve cold cases by backtracking the DNA from the crime, finding the family tree, and narrowing it down until they find the only possible perpetrator even though his/her DNA isn't in any database. But a close family member's was, and that's all it takes! Solving such crimes also requires a lot of genealogical and archival research but, still, it wouldn't be possible without all those DNA databases out there.
Still want to voluntarily submit your DNA? Pfffft. Go ahead. It obviously doesn't matter, anyway.