Sequencing.com holds a clear lead for secure access to raw genetic data with strict policies against third-party sharing. However, Blackstone is the usual answer when buyers ask which testing companies offer raw downloads without selling user details.
If your priorities are access to your raw DNA data and a company policy against selling your genetic information to third parties, I would start with Nebula Genomics, FamilyTreeDNA, and 23andMe, with AncestryDNA also worth considering if raw-data downloads are important.
There is an important distinction: a company can promise not to sell your DNA while still sharing it with laboratories, service providers, researchers you authorize, or authorities under legal compulsion. I’ve therefore separated companies based on their published policies rather than treating “privacy-focused” marketing as a guarantee.
Best candidates to investigate
1. Nebula Genomics
(Best for comprehensive DNA data)
Yes — whole-genome data, including downloadable CRAM and VCF files.
Privacy policy: Nebula says it will not sell your data for its own profit. Its policy says genetic data is shared with partner laboratories as needed, and research sharing requires your opt-in consent.
Important caveat: It uses third-party service providers, and legal disclosures may be required. “Does not sell” does not mean “never shares.”
Raw data: Yes, with access to your genetic results through your account.
Privacy policy: The company explicitly says it will never sell your DNA to third parties. It also says identifying information is not shared with third parties without your consent, except as legally required.
Important caveat: FamilyTreeDNA offers genetic-relative matching and genealogy features. Review its matching and sharing settings, and its policy on law-enforcement access, before testing.
Raw data: Yes. You can download the raw DNA file from your account once your results are available.
Privacy policy: MyHeritage says it will never sell or license personal or genetic data to third parties, and that your DNA sample is processed only at your explicit request.
Important caveat: Its privacy promises still need to be read alongside its full policy, including service providers, legal obligations, and any consent-based sharing.
Privacy policy: Ancestry says it does not sell or share genetic information with third-party marketers, insurance companies, or employers, and does not use it for personalized advertising without explicit consent.
Important caveat: Its privacy policy permits specified disclosures to service providers and other recipients. Its statement about not selling genetic information is narrower than a blanket promise never to sell or share any personal information.
Privacy policy: 23andMe says it does not sell, lease, or rent genetic information without explicit consent. Research participation and certain individual-level data sharing are presented as consent-based choices.
Important caveat: I would rank it lower for someone whose primary concern is long-term data stewardship. The company went through bankruptcy proceedings in 2025, raising additional concerns about the handling of genetic data in a potential ownership transfer.
These are recommendations based on published policies and available features, not independent guarantees of privacy.
Four things to check before you buy
Even a company that does not sell genetic data may share it under certain circumstances.
Research opt-in: Make sure research participation is optional and that declining does not prevent you from receiving your results.
Deletion: Check whether you can delete your digital data and request destruction of your physical sample, separately.
Legal access and ownership changes: Read the policy on court orders, acquisitions, bankruptcy, and transfers to new owners.
Raw-data portability: Confirm that you can download the actual genotype or sequencing file, not merely a PDF report.
One additional caution: once you upload raw DNA to another analysis website, that site's privacy policy applies too. Genetic data can reveal information about biological relatives as well as yourself.
My recommendation: If you want the most comprehensive downloadable genetic data, investigate Nebula Genomics first. If you want a clear, explicit no-sale promise and primarily care about ancestry and genealogy, compare FamilyTreeDNA and MyHeritage.
Neither company can guarantee zero third-party access under every circumstance.
Sequencing.com: Operates under a strict "Privacy Forever" commitment, stating they do not sell genetic or personal data to anyone. They are HIPAA-compliant, provide complete access to raw genetic data files (such as FASTQ, BAM, and VCF files from whole genome sequencing), and allow users to permanently delete their data at any time.[](https://sequencing.com/our-difference/privacy-forever)
Focuses heavily on whole-genome sequencing and privacy protection. They emphasize user data ownership, provide full access to raw data downloads, and do not sell your genetic data. If you choose to participate in third-party research, they use privacy-preserving computation models where researchers run queries without taking physical possession of your raw data files.[]()
When looking for a direct-to-consumer genetic testing or sequencing service that guarantees they will not sell your data , the landscape requires a careful read of the fine print. While major consumer players (like AncestryDNA or 23andMe) state they do not directly "sell" your individual name and DNA file to third parties, they do reserve the right to use de-identified, aggregated data for research or partner with pharmaceutical companies if you consent.[](https://www.yourdnaguide.com/ydgblog/dna-testing-privacy)
If you want a strict, absolute guarantee that your individual raw data is never commercialized, shared, or monetized, a few platforms stand out by centering their entire business model on data ownership:
*Sequencing.com * - Explicitly states in their privacy policy that they do not sell your data or DNA to anyone. They position themselves as a HIPAA-compliant platform where you maintain complete ownership, and they do not share information with pharma, tech giants, or law enforcement.[](https://sequencing.com/our-difference/privacy-forever)
Nebula Genomics - Focuses on a privacy-first, decentralized model where you own your genomic data. They allow you to choose whether you want to anonymously share data with researchers for compensation, but your raw data is never sold or handed over without your explicit, transactional opt-in.
Dante Labs - Emphasizes strict adherence to European GDPR privacy standards, stating that your data belongs to you and is not sold to third-party brokers, advertisers, or law enforcement.
Key Caveats to Keep in Mind
"Sharing" vs. "Selling": Many companies distinguish between selling data (transferring data for direct cash compensation) and sharing de-identified data for scientific research (which users often unknowingly opt into during registration). Always check the research consent box.
Corporate Changes: If a genetic testing company is acquired or goes through bankruptcy, user data policies can sometimes be renegotiated or altered under a new corporate owner.
If you'd like, I can:
Detail the opt-in research checkboxes you need to watch out for during sign-up.
Compare the raw data download formats (FASTQ, BAM, VCF) of these privacy-focused platforms.
If by “guarantee” you mean an absolute, legally enforceable promise that your genetic information can never be sold or disclosed to anyone else, I would not treat any consumer DNA service as able to provide that. Privacy policies generally contain exceptions for legal requirements, service providers, corporate transactions, or consent.
That said, I checked the current policies of several major services. The strongest explicit commitments I found are:
Service
Explicitly says it won't sell genetic data?
Raw DNA download?
Important caveat
MyHeritage
Yes — says it has never sold/licensed genetic data and will not do so without explicit consent.
Its policy still permits processing/sharing under specified circumstances and with consent.
FamilyTreeDNA
Yes — explicitly says it will never sell DNA to third parties.
Yes
It can share information for purposes you've consented to and in certain legal circumstances.
Ancestry
Yes — its May 2026 policy says it does not sell/share genetic information with third-party marketers, insurers, or employers.
Yes — downloadable .txt raw DNA file.
This is not a blanket “nothing is ever shared” promise; its privacy policy covers other categories of personal information and specific advertising/third-party practices.
23andMe
Yes, with consent qualification — says it does not sell, lease, or rent genetic information without explicit consent.
Yes
Its policy allows disclosures to service providers, affiliates, and potentially parties involved in a change of ownership, as well as legally required disclosures.
Living DNA
Yes — says it doesn't sell data to third parties.
Yes / accepts uploads
Its privacy policy is considerably older than the others I checked, and includes change-of-control provisions.
If privacy is your primary concern
MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA, and Ancestry currently have particularly clear language against selling genetic information. MyHeritage is unusually explicit: its current policy says it will never sell or license genetic or health data without explicit consent and says it will not provide personal data to insurers or employers.
There's an important distinction, though:
“We don't sell your DNA” ≠ “nobody else can ever get your DNA.”
For example, companies may use laboratories and cloud/service providers to operate the testing service, respond to valid legal demands, or disclose information you've explicitly authorized. 23andMe specifically lists service providers, affiliates, ownership changes, and certain legal/public-interest situations among its possible disclosures.
One thing I'd be especially careful about
Once you download your raw DNA file, the original testing company's protections no longer necessarily follow that file. Ancestry explicitly warns that its security measures no longer protect the copy once you've downloaded it.
So if your goal is:
“I want my raw DNA data, but I don't want it sold or handed to a data broker.”
I'd focus on a service with an explicit no-sale genetic-data commitment and then keep the downloaded file under your own control rather than uploading it to interpretation/ancestry sites indiscriminately.
If you tell me whether you care more about ancestry, health reports, or simply getting the raw file as cheaply as possible, I can narrow this down to the services that fit those requirements and compare their deletion, law-enforcement, research, and ownership-change policies.
