Colin
Wording buried in a 5,000-word policy document from a leading Covid test provider – which is planning to sell swabs containing customer’s DNA – shows that even children’s DNA does not have safeguards or protection. The company’s documents reveal our DNA is being stored, potentially, indefinitely and can be used for research or sold to third parties without our consent or knowledge
Cignpost Diagnostics, a UK government-approved supplier trading as Express Test, provides rapid, on-site Covid-19 testing. It has 71 walk-in locations across the UK and is reported to have delivered up to three million tests since June last year. The company charges between £35 and £120 for a PCR test and is estimated to have generated tens of millions of pounds from test fees alone, The Telegraph reported.
As well as to the public who require Covid tests for travel purposes, it has provided testing services to leading sports, entertainment and business brands, including the PGA European Tour, Scottish Premiership, BBC and Netflix.
Cignpost’s documents reveal it will analyse samples to sell the information to third parties and claimed it will also use the medical data to “learn more about human health” and develop new drugs and products. It has been reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”) and they are investigating.
Cignpost has partnered with an All-Party Parliamentary Group (“APPG”) – Business in a Pandemic (Covid) World – and RE:SILIENT, a trading subsidiary of the charity RE:ACT Disaster Response.
RE:ACT has so far facilitated 61,600 Covid tests and set up mobile testing capability for care home residents and a pilot scheme for drop and collect testing. While RE:SILIENT works solely with Cignpost to provide mobile on-site testing to businesses.
