MyHeritage May Be Ending RAW DNA Uploads From Other Sites

 

In the last couple of days, there's been a lot of chatter in forums about MyHeritage terminating the ability to upload DNA results from other sites. Up to this point, users had been able to upload their results from other DNA testing services for free, and see matches from the MyHeritage database. From a user perspective, this was a great way for users to connect with additional family members, and potentially break down more brick walls.

From a business standpoint (in my personal opinion), this was always a great boon for MyHeritage as well. I don't know how many users took advantage of this feature, but certainly it helped grow the size of their database more quickly, making them one of the bigger genealogy sites, with in excess of 9 million DNA profiles. The downside of this was many users probably uploaded, took advantage of the matches, and never subscribed. I'm sure they're hoping selling their DNA kits, instead of allowing free upload, will create a more consistent revenue stream. Since the price of their test is often less costly than Ancestry, it may work to their advantage. Will people who test with them be more inclined to subscribe? It's probably a coin toss. Some will, some won't.  

More interestingly, in the last couple of weeks, I've watched a couple news programs (sorry, I can't remember the exact episodes and despite endless Google searches, I can't find the info) where they publicly said DNA had been uploaded to the MyHeritage database to assist in solving law enforcement cases. I was quite surprised given the Terms of Service for MyHeritage state: "MyHeritage prohibits law enforcement use of it's DNA Services." This is the type of information usually associated with GEDmatch, not MyHeritage. Here is an excellent Fox News interview with CeCe Moore delving a bit deeper into this subject.

While it may technically not be illegal to upload, I'd argue every genealogist, law enforcement official and family historian has an ethical obligation to adhere to each site's Terms of Service. Users have every right to expect privacy, unless they specifically opt in to a site allowing law enforcement participation. I personally feel anyone uploading surreptitiously, knowingly violating both Terms of Service and the privacy rights of users, is not a very good ambassador for the genealogical community. This kind of behavior sows the seeds of distrust in the general public, and once people are convinced it's not safe to do DNA testing, it can be almost impossible to convince them otherwise.

From the few search results I can find, several people have inquired of MyHeritage, but I have not seen any official announcement confirming the removal of the free DNA upload feature. I have seen screenshots similar to the one below, and scores of users saying they no longer have the option to upload. My personal MyHeritage account (with a paid Omni subscription) seems to be unaffected, and I still have the option presented to upload. While I can click to start a new upload, I have not tried to complete the process (since my tests are already uploaded to the site).

So, where does this leave us? If you have not previously uploaded, and you have an interest in doing so, I'd recommend trying to do it now, as the future of this feature on MyHeritage is unclear. If you're looking to upload to other sites to get more matches, FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA), LivingDNA and of course, GEDmatch, are still allowing uploads to the best of my knowledge. This could be a strategic change by MyHeritage to increase revenue. It could be an attempt to get ahead of any bad press and reassure users their data will remain private. It could also be selectively rolled out to specific countries or states. We'll just have to wait and see if there's some kind of official statement or blog post by MyHeritage.

I'm a big fan of using DNA as I research my family tree. I hope the increase in use of DNA by law enforcement doesn't end up creating more roadblocks for those of us who embrace DNA as a part of our regular research. While I wholeheartedly support solving cases, including use of DNA uploads on sites who allow it, I do not condone intentionally violating the privacy of millions of people just to get a single conviction. This is simply my opinion, and every person is free to have their own, even if we don't agree. While MyHeritage isn't my number one go to site, I'd hate to see them come under scrutiny for acts they may have been unaware of or didn't condone.