why do some of my dna matches in ancestry have stars

I’m as frustrated as anybody else when I want to see test results and can’t, or even want to see an online tree and can’t.īut I don’t have a right to demand access to everyone else’s DNA results just because I’d like to see them, just because they might help me in my own research quest. I’d like everybody on the face of the earth to DNA test and to make their results widely accessible.

More, I’m a genealogist with a ton of brick walls in my own family research. Many people take DNA tests for reasons other than connecting with family, and the fact that we’d like to see (and benefit from) their test results doesn’t override their interests and their concerns in their own data. Third, and perhaps most importantly, we all have to understand and accept that we don’t have a right to access other people’s DNA results just because they happened to test at the same company. Second, the option allows people who might otherwise not test at all a privacy option that might encourage them to stick their toes in the DNA testing waters and, once they see that it’s safe in there and there are no sharks in those waters, to open up to more sharing down the road. This is no different from the choices offered at other testing companies such as Family Tree DNA and at least as much in terms of choice as those at 23andMe. People who’ve already tested will still see their match lists new testers will be encouraged to choose the option to see matches as well. Another chimed in: “this is a terrible change and the power of Ancestry’s DNA testing is greatly diminished.” Yet another started asking about refunds.īut the simple fact is: this is exactly the kind of change that’s the right thing to do.įirst off, the default setting is still to be included in matching. “Quit worrying so much about privacy absolutely ridiculous,” one said. While connecting family is one of the main benefits of our service, we also recognize that not everyone is open to discovering their extended family. Today, in that spirit of continually providing customers greater control and choice, we are introducing the ability to choose of whether or not to view and be viewed by their DNA matches.Ĭustomers can now decide if they want to have access to the list of people they may be related to and be shown as a potential family member for other customers with whom they share DNA.

We also understand the critical importance of privacy and enabling our customers’ control over their own data, which is why we strive to enhance user control in our services. We understand the power of discovery for our customers, and look for ways to improve our services to make it easier to find new connections and explore what they may mean for your family history. The company’s announcement explains that: Heaven knows there’s been enough to criticize AncestryDNA for over the years… 1ĪncestryDNA has just made it possible for a DNA tester to opt out of having a match list - those lists of cousins and other relatives who’ve also tested with AncestryDNA - which also means keeping the tester’s data private from others the tester matches. Sometimes The Legal Genealogist is one of those naysayers. If it changes the way it reports something.Īnd, now, that it’s changed a privacy setting. Every time AncestryDNA changes something, the naysayers come out in force.

Why do some of my dna matches in ancestry have stars