Genentech and Priorities

It came to our attention that we tend to point out all the bad stuff going on. Whether it be talking about how social media companies are selling your data, other companies skimming it off your activity, tracking your location, or governments trying to force their way into the blockchain economy we tend to focus too much on the negatives. While that is a natural tendency of human nature (the news has a saying – if it bleeds, it leads), there is plenty of good stuff going on as well. We at TARTLE think it’s our responsibility to make sure you know at least as much about the good stuff as you do the bad. 

Some of those good things are coming from a company called Genentech. This 40-year-old healthcare company exists to help better treat people suffering from some of the worst diseases around. Of course, it’s worth noting that this goal isn’t unique in itself. What is unique is that Genentech starts with helping people as the goal. They don’t spend a lot of time talking about profit. Not that they don’t make one, it’s just a natural result of them pursuing their primary goal of improving the health of people everywhere. 

Another aspect of the way Genentech operates is that they don’t just work on improving health on the back end, treating people when they are sick. They also work on getting out in front of the problem by taking care of the environment around them. 

How are they doing that? Genentech is actually doing quite a bit. They are being transparent about their goals in reducing their water use and greenhouse gas emissions and taking active steps to make those goals a reality. In transportation, they are working on building a complete electric vehicle fleet for their campus as well as providing service for that last leg from public transport not just for Genentech employees but for those of nearby businesses that aren’t big enough to have their own fleet. They are even helping to build out the rest of the infrastructure in the San Francisco Bay Area. In water use, they’ve managed to save 78 million gallons of water in just three years. I don’t care who you are, that’s impressive. In energy, they are working towards having all the electricity needs of its campuses supplied by clean sources. They are already well along the way and plan on getting to 100% clean electricity by 2025.

Now, all of that isn’t to say that Genentech is perfect. What are they missing? What they are missing is the right approach to data. They recently signed a multimillion-dollar deal with 23andMe to gain access to all of the genomic data on file. So, if you have done a DNA test with 23andME, Genentech is able to access and use that information without your knowledge.

Naturally, being able to access large amounts of data like that is a big asset for a healthcare company on the cutting edge of developing new treatments. Yet, they should still be getting their data ethically, not buying it from someone who shouldn’t be selling it in the first place. 

This is why TARTLE is working so hard to get our name out. Many companies like Genentech would love to get the information they need from people who give their fully informed consent, yet they haven’t realized that there is a way to do exactly that. All it takes is for them to sign up in our digital marketplace as a buyer and search for exactly the kind of data they need. Not only would they be getting it from people who are willingly sharing their information, they are able to then go back to the same people for follow-ups with responses to treatments, lifestyle questions that might be relevant and much more. What’s more, they are not only getting their data ethically, they are likely to do it at less cost. When people understand what their data is going to be used for, that it will help others, they are more likely to actually donate that information. In that way, sharing data becomes ethical and charitable, and that clearly is good for everyone.

What’s your data worth?