Latest news with #AdamBrown
Emirates Woman
15-05-2025
- Business
- Emirates Woman
Orlebar Brown's founder on building a brand around sun and style
Founded on the idea of a single tailored swim short, Orlebar Brown has evolved into a globally recognised lifestyle brand synonymous with jet-set sophistication and effortless resortwear. In this exclusive interview, Emirates Man speaks to founder Adam Brown about the creative spark that launched the label, the role of travel and music in shaping its bold aesthetic, and how — nearly two decades in — he continues to keep the spirit of the brand fresh, fun, and deeply rooted in the pursuit of sunshine. Adam Brown, founder of Orlebar Brown Orlebar Brown has become the go-to label for vacation worldwide. Was it the decision from the outset to focus on high-end swim shorts – can you give an insight to what drove this decision? It wasn't that I thought I had a great business idea, I was at a point in my life where I wanted something to do and I hadn't found the career, job, direction that was something I was going to follow for the rest of my life. I had an idea of a pair of shorts rather than a business, the tailored swim short. It was just a starting point. What I didn't know at the time was that a whole lifestyle brand around sunshine, travel and happiness could come from that one pair of shorts. I didn't understand the breadth and opportunity that pair of shorts had at the time. It was one product that I liked, which I wanted to wear and thought I could sell. The strategy started to take shape in years 2/3, when we could see the customers liking the product and we started thinking about what could be next. How could the initial idea of a tailored swim short grow into something bigger, that's when the strategy started to shape. Orlebar Brown is rooted in a fun holiday aesthetic. Where do you source inspiration and how do you choose iconic prints? Travel is the best way to find inspiration. Going to new places, seeing new things, exploring the markets, malls and shops are my greatest source of new ideas. We work with a number of archives and print houses, always looking for ones that grab our attention and then it might take us many seasons to make use of it. One of our signatures is finding gorgeous, vintage gentleman's prints from ties, cravats and scarves and re-imagining them into resortwear styles. Orlebar Brown is very bright, bold and fun. Is there any music that you love that lends itself to the aesthetic of the brand? My music tastes are always changing, and I find myself falling in love with new music when I travel to new places. I do love good musical theatre and am attracted to songs that are eclectic, emotional and uplifting. I am enjoying listening to the Californian daytime disco group Poolside. What are your favourite pieces from the latest collection? Navy Bulldog, Bulldog Drawstring, the brown linen shirt with three buttons, navy pleated linen shirt. 15 years in, how do you keep the brand fresh and relevant? As my role evolves at Orlebar Brown, as the team gets bigger, as we become more international, the constant challenge is how we maximise the opportunity for all the work that has been done over the last 18 years. We keep it fresh by constantly challenging ourselves and being our harshest critics by questioning whether we are doing the best we can, whether that's around product, events, in-store, customer service, or whatever it may be. Part of our culture/DNA is having that inquisitive nature to be our most sensitive but most aware critics. What's the creative strategy for the brand – are there any new category expansions or collaborations on the horizon? We are at an interesting point in our life. We are 18 years old, just like any teenager who feels they are reaching adulthood, there are many directions your life could take. For Orlebar Brown, there are obvious ones around product development, we are just starting accessories. We are well established with swimwear, tees, polos, shorts and trousers. So now we have our first bag coming out and shoes, our leather slides had great success. I think they are a big first step into far bigger and more exciting product development in the future. On a geography level, the challenges must be around being international, as our footprint becomes more established, we are constantly thinking of how we can attract new customers and find new friends around the world. You seem to see the fun in fashion. How important is it to keep the spirit of the brand fun? That's something I constantly question myself about, something innate that comes from the product, a group of people, but specifically the product. We started with tailored swim shorts, our tailored swim shorts are worn on holidays, holidays are always that place where it's sunny, with friends, listening to music, eating delicious foods, meeting different people — they are always memorable moments that focus on happiness and enjoyment. It starts with the product and where the product is worn is reflected on that idea of sunshine, happiness and enjoyment. If it doesn't feel sunny or summer, we shouldn't be doing it. Why is the Middle East region an important market for the brand? On a personal level, the Middle East has a special place in the Orlebar Brown brand journey. I remember testing one of the very early samples here in Dubai, some of our first stockists were in Dubai and very early on we could see customers ordering from Dubai. When we look around the world and think of places that are sunshine and happiness, where else is the best place but Dubai? Everyone has worked so hard throughout the years to establish OB in the Middle East, it seems to be a very natural fit and journey for us that I hope is only just the beginning. What have been the milestones in your career so far? My life milestones and Orlebar Brown's brand milestones are indelibly connected. In those very early days, the first big milestone for me was being in a department store and feeling the product could work. When I stood in Selfridges at weekends and watched the customer interact with the product, that was a massive milestone for me personally, as well as the brand. When I started seeing repeat customers, it just gave me confidence and started to believe the brand could grow. Seeing our product in Skyfall was another huge milestone for me, seeing the effect of Orlebar Brown being featured in such a large international franchise like Bond. The sale in 2018 with Chanel is deeply personal to me and huge for the brand. It's all too intertwined, there's no way there can be some separation when you start something from your spare room, with no skill, background or knowledge. What are the lessons you learned as you scaled the brand successfully? There are so many lessons you learn when you start your own business. There are several things I can say — from learning to say no and acting differently to all the competitors around. Something about focus — the fact that we started with one pair of shorts and not a huge collection, that was a massive lesson we learnt early on. One of the reasons I think we broke through is that we had clarity around our message and product. Ultimately, one of the lessons is not keeping your customer too narrow, making sure the opportunity for the brand stays broad — for us, being international and not specific to one country already gives the brand opportunity. That adage, 'If you fail to plan, you plan to fail' — keeping the opportunity wide open and maintaining true to your values. How are you planning to spend your summer and where are you heading? I had a lovely holiday in January in Uruguay, so I'm already feeling quite spoilt. I had some time in Cape Town and was lucky enough to come back to Dubai. I live in the countryside and it's very rare in England to have such good weather, so I think for the summer months I will enjoy the weather there. I will be heading to the South of France for a week in August and potentially a few days on an island in Greece. – For more on how to look smart and live smarter, follow Emirates Man on Facebook and Instagram Images: Supplied
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
23andMe users' genetic data is at risk, state AGs warn; here's how to delete your data
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Genetic testing company 23andMe, once valued at $6 billion, has filed for bankruptcy. State attorneys general are urging concerned customers to delete their data, while experts warn that state and federal laws may not fully protect their privacy. (Photo by) The fate of more than 15 million customers' genetic data remains in limbo after popular DNA testing company 23andMe filed for bankruptcy in March. The data is up for sale, stoking fears about how it might be used and prompting attorneys general from more than a dozen states to warn 23andMe users: Delete your data. 'Your genetic data is your most personal, confidential data, and you should be able to protect who has access to it,' North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, a Democrat, said in a March statement. 'You have the power to delete your data now — please act quickly.' Dr. Adam Brown, a Washington, D.C.-based emergency physician and the founder of a health care strategy firm, deleted his information on 23andMe as soon as he learned of the bankruptcy filing, he told Stateline. For him, the bankruptcy begs a vital question that federal and state laws don't fully address: What happens to your genetic data when the company holding it collapses? Federal protections are flimsy. States have beefed up their genetic privacy laws in recent years, but many experts say they don't go far enough. 23andMe has said the bankruptcy will not change how it stores, manages or protects its trove of sensitive customer information. In a news release issued shortly after the bankruptcy announcement, the company said any potential buyers would have to agree to comply with 23andMe's consumer privacy policy and all applicable laws. When contacted by Stateline, the company declined to comment beyond what it has published in news releases and information it posted for customers on its website. But once the data is in the hands of another company, that company could change its privacy policy at any time, experts noted. 'Once you get to the point of bankruptcy court, there may not be those same guarantees or the same ethos a new company may have around privacy protections for consumers,' Brown said. 'I want people to understand there actually are not a lot of data privacy protections for consumers, especially for these direct-to-customer-type businesses.' HIPAA doesn't help Companies such as 23andMe offer their users potentially game-changing revelations about their health and ancestry. The process is simple: Mail in a saliva sample and the company uses it to build an individual genetic profile that can reveal not only a person's family connections, but also health insights such as their risk of developing a disease like cancer or Alzheimer's. This valuable personal data underpins a direct-to-customer genetic testing market that was valued at $1.93 billion globally in 2023 and is expected to grow, according to market research firm Grand View Research. 23andMe was an industry giant until its stock price plummeted following a massive 2023 data breach that affected the accounts of nearly 7 million customers. Then came the $30 million class-action lawsuit settlement. The company declared bankruptcy in late March of this year, and announced it's up for sale. A flurry of alerts from state attorneys general around the country soon followed. AGs from states including Alabama, Arizona, California, Kentucky, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Texas issued similar press releases that recommended customers ask the company to delete their genetic profile and destroy the saliva sample used to create it. 'We have robust state privacy laws that include data deletion rights, and I would encourage any Texan concerned about their data to exercise the right to have their data securely deleted,' Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, said in an April statement. The fear is that a new 23andMe owner could choose to use or share sensitive personal genetic data in ways the company's current privacy policy doesn't allow. There's worry it could be used, for example, to inflate people's life insurance premiums or expose them to employment discrimination. And there aren't many guardrails to prevent that from happening. HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, doesn't apply to companies like 23andMe. The landmark federal law protects patients' sensitive health information when it's handled by doctors, hospitals and health insurers. But direct-to-customer companies such as 23andMe or Ancestry aren't considered health care providers, and their non-invasive saliva collection kit isn't considered a medical test. The main federal law that protects people from discrimination based on their genetic information is nearly 20 years old. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) was passed in 2008, long before the rise of at-home testing kits. It applies to employers and health insurers, but not to life insurance companies, mortgage lenders and other non-health entities. And it doesn't explicitly protect epigenetic information, which is information about the way a person's genes — and by extension, health — are affected by outside factors such as smoking, disease or stress. How to delete your 23andMe data Log in to your 23andMe account on Under your profile, click 'Settings.' Scroll to the '23andMe Data' section. Click the 'View' button. If you want a copy of your genetic data, choose the option to download it to your device before proceeding. Scroll to the 'Delete Data' section. Click 'Permanently Delete Data.' Check your email for a confirmation email from 23andMe, then follow the link in the email to confirm your deletion request. If you previously opted to have your saliva sample and DNA stored by 23andMe but want to change that preference, you can do so from your account settings page, under 'Preferences.' If you previously consented to 23andMe and third-party researchers using your genetic data and sample for research purposes, you can withdraw that consent from your account settings page, under the 'Research and Product Contents' section. If you have concerns, you can contact your state attorney general's office. Find yours at Source: Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia What states are doing In the past five years, at least 14 states have passed laws regulating direct-to-consumer genetic testing offered by companies like Ancestry and 23andMe. There's variation, but generally the laws require companies to get customers' express consent before using or sharing their data, and allow customers to request their genetic data be deleted and biological samples destroyed. It's a good start, but doesn't go far enough, said Anya Prince, a University of Iowa law professor whose research focuses on health and genetic privacy. Many of those state efforts were built around a model law developed by the Coalition for Genetic Data Protection, an industry group with two member companies: 23andMe and Ancestry. As DNA testing kits exploded in popularity and attracted increased scrutiny from lawmakers, the coalition pushed to influence legislation and set industry standards. The privacy protections in the laws mirror what 23andMe and Ancestry were already doing with their own privacy policies, experts say. 'They do have some really sensible privacy protections,' said Prince. 'It's great that people can delete their genetic data, and it's great that law enforcement needs a warrant to access it. But if a privacy advocate had written a model law, there would be the potential for more and broader protections.' For example, she said, many of the state laws address privacy requirements just for direct-to-consumer DNA testing companies. If 23andMe's data is bought by, say, a pharmaceutical company, those state laws no longer apply. The coalition now appears to be inactive, its website defunct. Since 2020, more than a dozen states have passed some version of a genetic information privacy law, including Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming, based on a Stateline analysis. This year, the Indiana legislature passed a bill that's now headed to the governor's desk. Bills have been introduced this year in other states, including West Virginia. Prince said state laws rely too heavily on consumers to self-manage their data privacy. They're expected to understand a company's policy, when studies have shown the public often doesn't read privacy notices nor fully understand how companies use their data. Further, many state laws don't address how third parties, such as law enforcement, can access and use consumer genetic data. It's also not always clear how the laws will be enforced, or who's responsible for oversight. 'In general, I think there's a disconnect between how people think their privacy is protected and how it's actually protected,' she said. But a few states have enacted laws that are more robust. California, for example, has a genetic information privacy law, but also has a general data protection law, as well as a state version of the federal GINA law that extends genetic anti-discrimination protections into areas including housing, education and licensing. Florida has beefed up its DNA privacy laws in recent years, making the using or selling of an individual's DNA without informed consent a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Florida was also the first state to prohibit life, disability and long-term care insurance companies from using genetic information to determine coverage.
American Military News
06-05-2025
- Business
- American Military News
23andMe users' genetic data is at risk, state AGs warn
The fate of more than 15 million customers' genetic data remains in limbo after popular DNA testing company 23andMe filed for bankruptcy in March. The data is up for sale, stoking fears about how it might be used and prompting attorneys general from more than a dozen states to warn 23andMe users: Delete your data. 'Your genetic data is your most personal, confidential data, and you should be able to protect who has access to it,' North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, a Democrat, said in a March statement. 'You have the power to delete your data now — please act quickly.' Dr. Adam Brown, a Washington, D.C.-based emergency physician and the founder of a health care strategy firm, deleted his information on 23andMe as soon as he learned of the bankruptcy filing, he told Stateline. For him, the bankruptcy begs a vital question that federal and state laws don't fully address: What happens to your genetic data when the company holding it collapses? Federal protections are flimsy. States have beefed up their genetic privacy laws in recent years, but many experts say they don't go far enough. 23andMe has said the bankruptcy will not change how it stores, manages or protects its trove of sensitive customer information. In a news release issued shortly after the bankruptcy announcement, the company said any potential buyers would have to agree to comply with 23andMe's consumer privacy policy and all applicable laws. When contacted by Stateline, the company declined to comment beyond what it has published in news releases and information it posted for customers on its website. But once the data is in the hands of another company, that company could change its privacy policy at any time, experts noted. 'Once you get to the point of bankruptcy court, there may not be those same guarantees or the same ethos a new company may have around privacy protections for consumers,' Brown said. 'I want people to understand there actually are not a lot of data privacy protections for consumers, especially for these direct-to-customer-type businesses.' HIPAA doesn't help Companies such as 23andMe offer their users potentially game-changing revelations about their health and ancestry. The process is simple: Mail in a saliva sample and the company uses it to build an individual genetic profile that can reveal not only a person's family connections, but also health insights such as their risk of developing a disease like cancer or Alzheimer's. This valuable personal data underpins a direct-to-customer genetic testing market that was valued at $1.93 billion globally in 2023 and is expected to grow, according to market research firm Grand View Research. 23andMe was an industry giant until its stock price plummeted following a massive 2023 data breach that affected the accounts of nearly 7 million customers. Then came the $30 million class-action lawsuit settlement. The company declared bankruptcy in late March of this year, and announced it's up for sale. A flurry of alerts from state attorneys general around the country soon followed. AGs from states including Alabama, Arizona, California, Kentucky, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Texas issued similar press releases that recommended customers ask the company to delete their genetic profile and destroy the saliva sample used to create it. 'We have robust state privacy laws that include data deletion rights, and I would encourage any Texan concerned about their data to exercise the right to have their data securely deleted,' Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, said in an April statement. The fear is that a new 23andMe owner could choose to use or share sensitive personal genetic data in ways the company's current privacy policy doesn't allow. There's worry it could be used, for example, to inflate people's life insurance premiums or expose them to employment discrimination. And there aren't many guardrails to prevent that from happening. HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, doesn't apply to companies like 23andMe. The landmark federal law protects patients' sensitive health information when it's handled by doctors, hospitals and health insurers. But direct-to-customer companies such as 23andMe or Ancestry aren't considered health care providers, and their non-invasive saliva collection kit isn't considered a medical test. The main federal law that protects people from discrimination based on their genetic information is nearly 20 years old. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) was passed in 2008, long before the rise of at-home testing kits. It applies to employers and health insurers, but not to life insurance companies, mortgage lenders and other non-health entities. And it doesn't explicitly protect epigenetic information, which is information about the way a person's genes — and by extension, health — are affected by outside factors such as smoking, disease or stress. What states are doing In the past five years, at least 14 states have passed laws regulating direct-to-consumer genetic testing offered by companies like Ancestry and 23andMe. There's variation, but generally the laws require companies to get customers' express consent before using or sharing their data, and allow customers to request their genetic data be deleted and biological samples destroyed. It's a good start, but doesn't go far enough, said Anya Prince, a University of Iowa law professor whose research focuses on health and genetic privacy. Many of those state efforts were built around a model law developed by the Coalition for Genetic Data Protection, an industry group with two member companies: 23andMe and Ancestry. As DNA testing kits exploded in popularity and attracted increased scrutiny from lawmakers, the coalition pushed to influence legislation and set industry standards. The privacy protections in the laws mirror what 23andMe and Ancestry were already doing with their own privacy policies, experts say. 'They do have some really sensible privacy protections,' said Prince. 'It's great that people can delete their genetic data, and it's great that law enforcement needs a warrant to access it. But if a privacy advocate had written a model law, there would be the potential for more and broader protections.' For example, she said, many of the state laws address privacy requirements just for direct-to-consumer DNA testing companies. If 23andMe's data is bought by, say, a pharmaceutical company, those state laws no longer apply. The coalition now appears to be inactive, its website defunct. Since 2020, more than a dozen states have passed some version of a genetic information privacy law, including Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming, based on a Stateline analysis. This year, the Indiana legislature passed a bill that's now headed to the governor's desk. Bills have been introduced this year in other states, including West Virginia. Prince said state laws rely too heavily on consumers to self-manage their data privacy. They're expected to understand a company's policy, when studies have shown the public often doesn't read privacy notices nor fully understand how companies use their data. Further, many state laws don't address how third parties, such as law enforcement, can access and use consumer genetic data. It's also not always clear how the laws will be enforced, or who's responsible for oversight. 'In general, I think there's a disconnect between how people think their privacy is protected and how it's actually protected,' she said. But a few states have enacted laws that are more robust. California, for example, has a genetic information privacy law, but also has a general data protection law, as well as a state version of the federal GINA law that extends genetic anti-discrimination protections into areas including housing, education and licensing. Florida has beefed up its DNA privacy laws in recent years, making the using or selling of an individual's DNA without informed consent a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Florida was also the first state to prohibit life, disability and long-term care insurance companies from using genetic information to determine coverage. If you have concerns, you can contact your state attorney general's office. Find yours at ___ © 2025 States Newsroom. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Miami Herald
05-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
23andMe users' genetic data is at risk, state AGs warn
The fate of more than 15 million customers' genetic data remains in limbo after popular DNA testing company 23andMe filed for bankruptcy in March. The data is up for sale, stoking fears about how it might be used and prompting attorneys general from more than a dozen states to warn 23andMe users: Delete your data. "Your genetic data is your most personal, confidential data, and you should be able to protect who has access to it," North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, a Democrat, said in a March statement. "You have the power to delete your data now - please act quickly." Dr. Adam Brown, a Washington, D.C.-based emergency physician and the founder of a health care strategy firm, deleted his information on 23andMe as soon as he learned of the bankruptcy filing, he told Stateline. For him, the bankruptcy begs a vital question that federal and state laws don't fully address: What happens to your genetic data when the company holding it collapses? Federal protections are flimsy. States have beefed up their genetic privacy laws in recent years, but many experts say they don't go far enough. 23andMe has said the bankruptcy will not change how it stores, manages or protects its trove of sensitive customer information. In a news release issued shortly after the bankruptcy announcement, the company said any potential buyers would have to agree to comply with 23andMe's consumer privacy policy and all applicable laws. When contacted by Stateline, the company declined to comment beyond what it has published in news releases and information it posted for customers on its website. But once the data is in the hands of another company, that company could change its privacy policy at any time, experts noted. "Once you get to the point of bankruptcy court, there may not be those same guarantees or the same ethos a new company may have around privacy protections for consumers," Brown said. "I want people to understand there actually are not a lot of data privacy protections for consumers, especially for these direct-to-customer-type businesses." HIPAA doesn't help Companies such as 23andMe offer their users potentially game-changing revelations about their health and ancestry. The process is simple: Mail in a saliva sample and the company uses it to build an individual genetic profile that can reveal not only a person's family connections, but also health insights such as their risk of developing a disease like cancer or Alzheimer's. This valuable personal data underpins a direct-to-customer genetic testing market that was valued at $1.93 billion globally in 2023 and is expected to grow, according to market research firm Grand View Research. 23andMe was an industry giant until its stock price plummeted following a massive 2023 data breach that affected the accounts of nearly 7 million customers. Then came the $30 million class-action lawsuit settlement. The company declared bankruptcy in late March of this year, and announced it's up for sale. A flurry of alerts from state attorneys general around the country soon followed. AGs from states including Alabama, Arizona, California, Kentucky, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Texas issued similar press releases that recommended customers ask the company to delete their genetic profile and destroy the saliva sample used to create it. "We have robust state privacy laws that include data deletion rights, and I would encourage any Texan concerned about their data to exercise the right to have their data securely deleted," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, said in an April statement. The fear is that a new 23andMe owner could choose to use or share sensitive personal genetic data in ways the company's current privacy policy doesn't allow. There's worry it could be used, for example, to inflate people's life insurance premiums or expose them to employment discrimination. And there aren't many guardrails to prevent that from happening. HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, doesn't apply to companies like 23andMe. The landmark federal law protects patients' sensitive health information when it's handled by doctors, hospitals and health insurers. But direct-to-customer companies such as 23andMe or Ancestry aren't considered health care providers, and their non-invasive saliva collection kit isn't considered a medical test. The main federal law that protects people from discrimination based on their genetic information is nearly 20 years old. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) was passed in 2008, long before the rise of at-home testing kits. It applies to employers and health insurers, but not to life insurance companies, mortgage lenders and other non-health entities. And it doesn't explicitly protect epigenetic information, which is information about the way a person's genes - and by extension, health - are affected by outside factors such as smoking, disease or stress. What states are doing In the past five years, at least 14 states have passed laws regulating direct-to-consumer genetic testing offered by companies like Ancestry and 23andMe. There's variation, but generally the laws require companies to get customers' express consent before using or sharing their data, and allow customers to request their genetic data be deleted and biological samples destroyed. It's a good start, but doesn't go far enough, said Anya Prince, a University of Iowa law professor whose research focuses on health and genetic privacy. Many of those state efforts were built around a model law developed by the Coalition for Genetic Data Protection, an industry group with two member companies: 23andMe and Ancestry. As DNA testing kits exploded in popularity and attracted increased scrutiny from lawmakers, the coalition pushed to influence legislation and set industry standards. The privacy protections in the laws mirror what 23andMe and Ancestry were already doing with their own privacy policies, experts say. "They do have some really sensible privacy protections," said Prince. "It's great that people can delete their genetic data, and it's great that law enforcement needs a warrant to access it. But if a privacy advocate had written a model law, there would be the potential for more and broader protections." For example, she said, many of the state laws address privacy requirements just for direct-to-consumer DNA testing companies. If 23andMe's data is bought by, say, a pharmaceutical company, those state laws no longer apply. The coalition now appears to be inactive, its website defunct. Since 2020, more than a dozen states have passed some version of a genetic information privacy law, including Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming, based on a Stateline analysis. This year, the Indiana legislature passed a bill that's now headed to the governor's desk. Bills have been introduced this year in other states, including West Virginia. Prince said state laws rely too heavily on consumers to self-manage their data privacy. They're expected to understand a company's policy, when studies have shown the public often doesn't read privacy notices nor fully understand how companies use their data. Further, many state laws don't address how third parties, such as law enforcement, can access and use consumer genetic data. It's also not always clear how the laws will be enforced, or who's responsible for oversight. "In general, I think there's a disconnect between how people think their privacy is protected and how it's actually protected," she said. But a few states have enacted laws that are more robust. California, for example, has a genetic information privacy law, but also has a general data protection law, as well as a state version of the federal GINA law that extends genetic anti-discrimination protections into areas including housing, education and licensing. Florida has beefed up its DNA privacy laws in recent years, making the using or selling of an individual's DNA without informed consent a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Florida was also the first state to prohibit life, disability and long-term care insurance companies from using genetic information to determine coverage. ---------- INFO BOX: How to delete your 23andMe data --Log in to your 23andMe account on --Under your profile, click "Settings." --Scroll to the "23andMe Data" section. --Click the "View" button. --If you want a copy of your genetic data, choose the option to download it to your device before proceeding. --Scroll to the "Delete Data" section. --Click "Permanently Delete Data." --Check your email for a confirmation email from 23andMe, then follow the link in the email to confirm your deletion request. --If you previously opted to have your saliva sample and DNA stored by 23andMe but want to change that preference, you can do so from your account settings page, under "Preferences." If you previously consented to 23andMe and third-party researchers using your genetic data and sample for research purposes, you can withdraw that consent from your account settings page, under the "Research and Product Contents" section. If you have concerns, you can contact your state attorney general's office. Find yours at Source: Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia ____ Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Daily Record
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Stirling Albion prepare for Angus curtain call as home side battle for survival
The Binos head to Station Park for a third time this season with little on the line - but they could play party poopers in the Loons' bid to avoid the relegation play-off. It's the curtain call for Stirling Albion for the 2024/25 season as they aim to be heartbreakers on a third trip to Forfar. The Binos' playoff hopes were finally put to bed after a disappointing 4-1 home defeat to Clyde last weekend, meaning that Stirling head north with only the goal of pipping Spartans to fifth place in the table still live. But while thoughts of holidays will be in the visitors' minds, it will be a very different case for the nervous Loons faithful after their side was dragged back into the relegation mire in the last couple of weeks. The home side sit two points clear of bottom dogs Bonnyrigg Rose going into the final round of games after Rose closed five points in the last fortnight, beginning with a win at Station Park before following that up with a 96th minute winner at home to Spartans last weekend. Meanwhile, Forfar could only play out a goalless draw with Edinburgh City in the capital, meaning the season will go to the final day to decide who will be 'club 42' and take part in the nerve-shredding play-off matches. For Stirling, boss Alan Maybury will be given the chance to cast his eye over his squad one more time as decisions are taken ahead of next season - with some out-of-contract names already having signed on for next season or being offered deals. Meanwhile, it was all smiles for Albion midfielder Adam Brown this week after he sealed a stellar season in the red and white by scooping the prizes at the club's player of the year bash. The two awards given out on the night - the Players' Player of the Year and the Supporters' Club Player of the Year - were both given to midfielder Adam Brown, to add to an illustrious debut season in red and white for the late summer arrival from Stenhousemuir. The 29-year-old has made 27 appearances in all competitions for the Binos and is likely to finish the campaign as the team's top scorer on 11 goals, with a further nine assists. Brown — who is making his return to the first-team in recent matches after an injury stint — was also the only Stirling player to be included in the PFA Team of the Year, announced last week. Following the news, Brown announced on his social media: 'Thank you to the supporters for the award, it's appreciated! 'Looking forward to next season already!'
