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Online DNA tests are upending anonymous sperm donations

Fintan McDonnell

Published: November 10, 2022

Graphic for the Context video Online DNA tests are upending anonymous sperm donations

Cheap DNA testing kits have enabled millions to peek into their family history, ancestry and inherited health conditions. But the technology has also raised ethical concerns over how customers’ data is being shared and sold for use in drug research and law enforcement.

It’s also upending the decades-old industry of anonymous sperm donations. We met Anna, who found her biological father - a sperm donor - along with 40 half-siblings after taking a DNA test.

Her story raises the question: how do you protect someone’s anonymity in the age of affordable and easy online DNA tests?

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