As the journalist Charles Seife has pointed out, the retail genetics test is “meant to be a front end for a massive information-gathering operation against an unwitting public.” Indeed, when 23andMe customers log in to their accounts, they are invited to fill out surveys about their lifestyle, family background, and health, adding epidemiological value to the genetic data, which are then used by the firm’s research arm, 23andWe.
但问题不仅仅在于不准确。正如记者查尔斯·赛菲（Charles Seife）所指出的，零售遗传测试“必然是针对不知情公众的大规模信息收集操作的前沿。”事实上，当23andMe公司客户登陆他们的账户时，他们会被邀请填写关于生活方式、家庭背景和健康的调查，从而使这些遗传数据具有流行病学分析价值，而这些信息随后将被该公司的研究部门23andWe所用。