Privacy risks in microbiome research: Public perspectives before and during a global pandemic

The majority of the 3,106 U.S. adults that Shin and Xu surveyed expressed a desire for consent materials with detailed information about potential privacy risks associated with microbiome data. Participants, who took the survey after Covid-19 was declared a nationwide emergency, were more likely to indicate higher levels of concern about and greater familiarity with microbiome privacy risks.