48 h. ago Couple's wedding DVD discovered at charity shop as groom reveals their fate

Any users on the Facebook site, which collates surprising charity shop finds, who thought the DVD would come with a happy ending were left bitterly disappointed when they discovered the truth

Politics

2 w. ago Area 51 mystery tower on Google Maps prompts 'alien tech' claims

A mystifying tower spotted online at Area 51 has prompted new theories into the secret Nevada site - with some social media users claiming aliens could be behind the odd structure

Politics

3 w. ago Genetic data is an another asset to be exploited – beware who has yours | John Naughton

The bankruptcy of genealogy company 23andMe has resulted in a fire sale of millions of people’s genetic information – and there’s no shortage of eager buyers with questionable motivesEver thought of having your genome sequenced? Me neither. But it seems that at least 15 million souls have gone in for it and are delighted to know that they have Viking ancestry, or discombobulated to find that they have siblings of whom they were hitherto unaware. The corporate vehicle that enabled these revelations is called 23andMe, which describes itself as a “genetics-led consumer healthcare and biotechnology company empowering a healthier future”.Back in the day, 23andMe was one of those vaunted “unicorns” (privately held startups valued at more than $1bn), but is now facing harder times. Its share price had fallen precipitately following a data breach in October 2023 that harvested the profile and ethnicity data of 6.9 million users – including name, profile photo, birth year, location, family s...

Events

3 w. ago 23andMe’s demise is a warning: the US needs to overhaul genetic data protection | Dalton Conley

We’re moving toward a society where genetic information is a part of everyday life – and we don’t want it in the wrong handsWith a heavy heart, I clicked on my 23andMe account on a recent morning, confirming that I wanted to delete my data. The genetic testing company filed for bankruptcy late last month and the California attorney general and others have recommended that users delete their data lest it be acquired by less scrupulous companies as the company is stripped for parts during bankruptcy proceedings.I was one of the company’s earliest customers and had used their service to genotype not just myself but my entire extended family. I even got my kids’ babysitter a kit.Dalton Conley is Henry Putnam university professor of sociology at Princeton University and author of The Social Genome: The New Science of Nature and Nurture Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Sick dark web site 'Kidflix' taken offline after major operation uncovers users in Scotland

To date, 30 people have been arrested in the UK as part of the multi-agency operation into the sickening streaming service.

Politics

4 w. ago I used it to find nine siblings but now I’ve deleted my data: 23andMe users on the site’s bankruptcy

‘I don't know who could get their hands on what,’ 23andMe user Laura Khalil said after the company announced it is looking for a buyer

Politics