this post was submitted on 06 Dec 2023
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23andMe just sent out an email trying to trick customers into accepting a TOS change that will prevent you from suing them after they literally lost your genome ro thieves.

Do what it says in the email and email arbitrationoptout@23andme.com that you do not agree with the new terms of service and opt out of arbitration.

If you have an account with them, do this right now.

Here’s an email template for what to write: https://www.patreon.com/posts/94164861

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[–] tty5@lemmy.world 219 points 1 year ago (13 children)

I don't see how an email that has no proof of delivery (could have ended in spam for example) would be legally binding.

Accepting a ToS update simply by virtue of no action is also questionable unless provisions permitting that were in the ToS you've accepted and even then it would not work in the European Union, because that's listed in the forbidden clauses registry.

[–] FurtiveFugitive@lemm.ee 102 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I thought the same thing when my Disney+ rate went up a couple months ago and I couldn't find the email warning about it in my inbox or spam folders.

Why do we let these companies get away with everything? If the rates are going up, show me in the app/ui. Make it opt in. Disable my ability to watch anything until I approve the increase in spend. It should be illegal to just change the terms of a contract and say "I sent you an email."

[–] SnuggleSnail@ani.social 11 points 1 year ago (2 children)

You most likely did not officially consent to the changes and have a prolonged right to terminate the contract without the need of upholding the contract duration.

It’s probably mich cheaper just to deal with the few that complain rather than sending out hundreds of thousands of paper letters or having them confirm the changes electronically and terminating the contracts of those who did not accept.

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[–] grue@lemmy.world 54 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (6 children)

Accepting a ToS update simply by virtue of no action is also questionable

Even it being "questionable" is a fucking outrage -- it should be so blatantly, obviously, disallowed that a lawyer should lose their license just for proposing it!

The entire concept is a goddamn farce.

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[–] PersnickityPenguin@lemm.ee 29 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

It's not, and TOS are not legally binding either

By viewing this post, you agree to gift 50% of all after tax future earnings to PersnickityPenguin. Additionally, your entire Steam Library of games is hereby under sole ownership of PersnickityPenguin. All games and/or steam account login and password must be provided to PersnickityPenguin.

Failure to transfer all financial and virtual property within (30) days is considered a breach of contract. Each incident of a breach of contract will result in a $500,000 penalty per incident. Viewer agrees to these terms of service. Any dispute or breach of contract will result in additional legal fees to be paid by the viewer entering into this contract pursuant to paragraph (A).

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[–] Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

My ISP, phone company, bank, insurance company and everyone else send me TOS related messages from time to time. Usually, the message is something along the lines of: β€œWe’re altering the deal. Pray we don’t alter it any further”

It doesn’t seem fair to me, but since everyone is doing it, there probably isn’t a law against it.

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[–] MonsiuerPatEBrown@reddthat.com 110 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

"But they clicked the imaginary button, your Honor. How can they still have rights ?"

[–] Tier1BuildABear@lemmy.world 112 points 1 year ago (6 children)

This just blows my fucking mind. Same thing happened with Crunchyroll, apparently I could have been part of a class action lawsuit when it was found out that they were selling users data. But I didn't hear about it, didn't get any letters and didn't see the email. The date came and went. Because I didn't "take action" in time I apparently forfeit my right to my piece of the settlement AND to sue.

HOW THE FUCK IS THAT LEGAL. How can you make the least amount of effort to notify someone after illegally fucking up their life, then when they don't respond (because they didn't see the notification or whatever), say, "well legally that means they're ok with it, and can't do anything in the future"

What the fuck

[–] cyberic@discuss.tchncs.de 29 points 1 year ago

It depends, it may not be. TOS are not as ironclad as they appear.

[–] Buttons@programming.dev 18 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Send their legal team an email telling them you're going to update the terms unless you hear from them.

Also, send a bunch of irrelevant shit about what your doing and thinking about and video games you're playing first, they'll probably block your email address and then wont see the legally important email.

[–] essteeyou@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The class actions I've been part of have said that if I want to retain the right to sue then I have to opt out of the class action. I don't think it's possible to be force-opted in, and in that case you should retain the ability to sue.

I've only been in 3 or 4 though, so I don't know if that's representative of all class actions.

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[–] Thteven@lemmy.world 79 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If anyone wants my genetic information just come to my door and I'll supply it to you directly 😏

[–] Rockyrikoko@lemm.ee 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] Thteven@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Saw this in my inbox and totally thought it was for this comment lol

https://lemmy.world/comment/5851431

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[–] Hubi@feddit.de 78 points 1 year ago (1 children)

"They lost my genome" is certainly a 2023 phrase.

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[–] Artyom@lemm.ee 40 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I had them destroy my sample and delete my data the week they went public, so I'm glad we've finally reached the "I told you so" phase of this.

[–] Anon819450514@lemmy.ca 22 points 1 year ago (1 children)

How can you be sure they did what you requested? How can you verify?

[–] Karyoplasma@discuss.tchncs.de 30 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If I was that guy I would dig for the leak and search through it. If I would find even a shred of my data, that's a lawsuit.

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[–] neveraskedforthis@lemmy.world 40 points 1 year ago (3 children)
[–] Honytawk@lemmy.zip 24 points 1 year ago

Of course, and in some places a TOS isn't even legally binding.

[–] EatYouWell@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago

No, but that doesn't mean it's legally enforceable.

You can't sign away negligence in a contract.

[–] Nommer@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 year ago

Yes but they'll just outspend the average person in court. It's a fucked design

[–] SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world 40 points 1 year ago (6 children)

The real question is why would you put your genome into the hands of a company without a compelling reason beyond "This sounds cool"

[–] slumberlust@lemmy.world 23 points 1 year ago (6 children)

A lot of people didn't, but their relatives did and now theyre implicated.

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[–] yamanii@lemmy.world 21 points 1 year ago (7 children)

So I can prove that I'm 3% black and get my word pass. /s

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[–] Sorgan71@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago

It being cool is a compelling reason.

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[–] cheese_greater@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They didn't lose it, they know exactly where it went

[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

Piracy is theft in the eyes of the law. So because the hackers copied it, your data was lost and you should be compensated for the loss.

[–] Buttons@programming.dev 16 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

So, our main interactions happened in the past, your fault and abuse of me happened in the past, and now, in the present, you can slip a little "go out of your way or the legal terms governing our interactions in the past will be altered" clause in an email, and it's all legal?

(Hold on, let me try applying a rule of thumb that helps me answer legal questions like this: Would this help the rich and powerful maintain riches and power?... Yes. I think the answer to my question above is yes.)

I'd argue the the interactions and faults of the past should be governed by the agreement we had in the past.

[–] nymwit@lemm.ee 13 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Did they lose anyone's genome? That's not what's been reported. They certainly lost customer information and this is definitely a super shitty move to trick you into waiving some rights, but I've seen no reporting that says they lost full DNA information.

[–] frogfruit@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 year ago

They have disabled the download data button and refuse to provide customers with a copy of their own data. I have been trying to get a copy of my data for over a month and they just tell me they'll consider re-enabling the button in the future.

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