CRI Genetics & Its Impact on DNA Testing Consumers
TL;DR: Federal regulators from the FTC alleged that CRI Genetics sold DNA tests using inflated accuracy promises, phony independence claims on company-run “review” sites, fake or inauthentic endorsements, and checkout designs that charged people before a final confirmation page.
A court order resolves the case with a permanent injunction, privacy safeguards, mandated notices and refunds, data-deletion rights, and a $700,000 monetary judgment to California subject to specified conditions.
Keep reading for the receipts, a clear timeline, and what this case shows about how deregulation and profit-first incentives corrode corporate ethics.
Corporate Misconduct
Accuracy claims.
CRI told customers its ancestry results were “99.9% accurate” and “90%+ accuracy,” and that it could pinpoint timing and location by analyzing 642,824 markers. The FTC states these representations were unsubstantiated given how ancestry estimation actually works and what companies can know about competitors’ datasets.
“Patented” tech that wasn’t.
Ads said CRI used “patented DNA algorithms,” yet the filing states CRI never obtained a patent for its matching software. That message appeared for years across company promotions.
Astroturfed independence.
From 2017 to early 2021, people searching Google and Bing saw ads for “Genetics Digest” and “Buyer Ranking,” presented as neutral guides with top DNA test picks. The FTC’s complaint says CRI owned and operated these sites and didn’t clearly disclose that connection, while those pages crowned CRI the winner.
Reviews and testimonials.
The filing alleges numerous reviews on CRI’s sites and social channels didn’t reflect real buyers’ experiences. The document characterizes these as false or misleading endorsements.
Checkout design and charges.
CRI told customers they would confirm orders on a final page, yet charges were submitted before that page and people had to chase refunds for unwanted items. The filing labels those representations as deceptive billing practices.
The outcome.
A permanent injunction bars violations of federal and California consumer laws and requires clear disclosures, consent, and other privacy protections for DNA information. The order sets a monetary judgment to California of $700,000, with terms that make that amount immediately due if specified misrepresentations occur about finances or refunds.
Timeline of What Went Wrong (as per the FTC)
| Timeframe | What Happened | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 2017–Feb 2021 | CRI ran search ads driving users to “Genetics Digest,” which appeared independent while being CRI-controlled. | Created the impression of neutral ratings while steering buyers to CRI. |
| 2018–Apr 2021 | “Buyer Ranking” presented as unbiased while CRI owned and produced its content. Site was taken down around April 2021. | Deceptive veneer of independence; removal aligns with scrutiny. |
| 2017–Apr 2021 | Ads said CRI used “patented” DNA algorithms. | Filing states no patent existed for the software. |
| 2017–2021 (examples dated) | CRI claimed “99.9% accurate,” “90%+ accuracy,” and pinpointing “exactly when and where,” including a 642,824-marker pitch. | Alleged unsubstantiated accuracy and certainty beyond what DNA tests can deliver. |
| March 2021 | “Genetics Digest” adds a small, low-contrast affiliation line. | Disclosure design likely to be overlooked; still didn’t reveal true control. |
| 2019–Apr 2023 | CRI represents it issued about $5.9M in refunds to over 99% of requesters under a no-questions-asked policy. | Scale of consumer redress claimed by CRI in the order’s findings. |
| Jan 2017–May 2021 | Court-ordered notices must be emailed to all purchasers in this period. | Broad retrospective notice requirement. |
| Post-Order | Mandated deletion of DNA information for fully refunded consumers who ask, and clear disclosure of deletion rights going forward. | Privacy remedy tied to refunds and consent. |
| Post-Order | $700,000 monetary judgment to California becomes immediately due upon specified false statements about finances or refunds. | Financial consequence that reinforces truthful compliance. |
There is a press release about this on the FTC’s website that you can check out
đź’ˇ Explore Corporate Misconduct by Category
Corporations harm people every day — from wage theft to pollution. Learn more by exploring key areas of injustice.
- 💀 Product Safety Violations — When companies risk lives for profit.
- 🌿 Environmental Violations — Pollution, ecological collapse, and unchecked greed.
- 💼 Labor Exploitation — Wage theft, worker abuse, and unsafe conditions.
- 🛡️ Data Breaches & Privacy Abuses — Misuse and mishandling of personal information.
- 💵 Financial Fraud & Corruption — Lies, scams, and executive impunity.
NOTE:
This website is facing massive amounts of headwind trying to procure the lawsuits relating to corporate misconduct. We are being pimp-slapped by a quadruple whammy:
- The Trump regime's reversal of the laws & regulations meant to protect us is making it so victims are no longer filing lawsuits for shit which was previously illegal.
- Donald Trump's defunding of regulatory agencies led to the frequency of enforcement actions severely decreasing. What's more, the quality of the enforcement actions has also plummeted.
- The GOP's insistence on cutting the healthcare funding for millions of Americans in order to give their billionaire donors additional tax cuts has recently shut the government down. This government shut down has also impacted the aforementioned defunded agencies capabilities to crack down on evil-doers. Donald Trump has since threatened to make these agency shutdowns permanent on account of them being "democrat agencies".
- My access to the LexisNexis legal research platform got revoked. This isn't related to Trump or anything, but it still hurt as I'm being forced to scrounge around public sources to find legal documents now. Sadge.
All four of these factors are severely limiting my ability to access stories of corporate misconduct.
Due to this, I have temporarily decreased the amount of articles published everyday from 5 down to 3, and I will also be publishing articles from previous years as I was fortunate enough to download a butt load of EPA documents back in 2022 and 2023 to make YouTube videos with.... This also means that you'll be seeing many more environmental violation stories going forward :3
Thank you for your attention to this matter,
Aleeia (owner and publisher of www.evilcorporations.com)
Also, can we talk about how ICE has a $170 billion annual budget, while the EPA-- which protects the air we breathe and water we drink-- barely clocks $4 billion? Just something to think about....
