This is a five-alarm fire for anyone who wants to control their destiny in this digital world.
Imagine this: You are one of 15 million people who sent your DNA sample to 23andMe, the genetic testing company went into bankruptcy. Now, your entire genetic code might fall into the hands of shady, third-party data brokers or worse. Everything that literally makes you a person—your family tree, your heritage, and all the details of your DNA—is now on the open market and will likely be owned by someone else. It’s a dystopian scene out of a sci-fi film—yet one that millions and millions of people now face.
It’s tragic and immoral that such precious extensions of ourselves are traded without recourse and for practically nothing, massively exploited in centralized platforms, and treated as collateral damage by those companies after they go belly up. Our data is immensely powerful and valuable, especially when used in aggregate to achieve scientific breakthroughs and develop multi-billion-dollar drugs, and yet we don’t see a dime to reflect the literal piece of ourselves that goes into the product.
It’s time to change how our data—our very personhood—is treated, and to reclaim our power for future generations.
Frank McCourt, Founder, Project Liberty
This is a five-alarm fire for anyone who wants to control their destiny in this digital world. Research is clear that most Americans feel they have little or no control over their personal data, with a majority (56%) prioritizing their medical histories and health data as “very sensitive” (Pew Research). It’s well past time we demand and use healthier alternatives to companies that do not respect our data – our personhood.
Soar AI, founded by Ancestry.com Co-founder Paul Allen, is an example of a safer option for people to engage with their heritage. Its Family Portal offers a secure platform for loved ones to strengthen connections and preserve memories. It will also integrate the Frequency blockchain, ensuring members’ data is protected. Through the Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (DSNP), Soar AI will be built on a secure digital infrastructure that gives members control and safeguards their privacy. We should all adopt platforms designed to put people first.
The 23andMe case is a sign of more to come if nothing changes. We cannot let this become the norm. Instead, we must take action, join together, and choose platforms that put us back in charge. The most innovative companies today are ones that respect our personhood. And that’s what Project Liberty is all about—driving innovation, galvanizing a movement, and building the technologies of tomorrow where everyone has a voice, choice, and stake in the system.
It’s time to change how our data—our very personhood—is treated, and to reclaim our power for future generations.