Consumer DNA tests are one of the hottest trends right now, with 23andMe boxes lining Target’s end caps and Kelly Ripa promoting Ancestry.com. It’s a pretty amazing concept: Spit into a tube and get a wealth of information about your ancestral history and family lineage.

Once your results are uploaded into the provider’s database, you’ll have access to a network of other individuals with similar genetic markers. These people could be second, third, fourth cousins, half-siblings, or even biological family members you didn’t know you had. Depending on your privacy settings, these individuals can see your family tree and where they fit into it, along with your name and contact information.