The success of genome-wide association studies (GWASs) depends on sample size (Abdellaoui et al. 2023). Accordingly, genetics researchers increasingly depend on public–private partnerships that pool data collected by academic researchers, national biobanks, and private companies. For example, the company 23andMe Inc. contributed an astonishing 2.5 million observations to a recent GWAS of height (Yengo et al. 2022). However, to protect their interests, private companies place restrictions on the public sharing of GWAS summary statistics and require a potentially lengthy and burdensome application process for researchers to gain access. In some cases, researchers’ institutions are unwilling to agree to the legal terms set by private companies in their material transfer agreements. These restrictions pose a challenge to scientific transparency and slow the pace of genetic discovery.
