Genetic testing company 23AndMe has filed for bankruptcy. Justin Sullivan/Getty Image hides captions
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Genetic testing company 23AndMe is best known for allowing people to follow their ancestors with home-based kits, and has struggled financially for several months.
So, when a California biotech company announced in a statement this week that it had joined the federal bankruptcy process with the goal of finding buyers, one question was raised to more than 15 million users of its services. What will happen to my data?
The company claims that customer information is protected. However, if you want to opt out completely, California Attorney General Rob Bonta has released this eight-stage guide to removing genetic data from 23andMe.
Log in to your 23andMe account on the website. Go to the Settings section of your profile. Scroll into the section labeled “23andMe data” at the bottom of the page. (Click (View) next to 23andMe data. Download the data. If you want a copy of genetic data from your personal storage, select the option to download to your device before clicking scroll.scroll in the (Delete Data) section. Please confirm your request: You will receive an email from 23andMe. Follow the link in the email to confirm your deletion request.
Bonta provided this advice to destroy the test samples and revoke permission to use genetic data in research.
If you previously chose to store saliva samples and DNA in 23andMe, but want to change that preference, you can do it from the Account Settings page under Settings. If you have previously used genetic data to 23andMe and third-party researchers and used samples for your research, you can withdraw your consent from the Account Settings page under the “Research and Product Concept.”
In an open letter to customers this week, 23andme said the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing “will not change the way customer data is stored, managed or protected. 23andMe buyers must comply with applicable laws regarding the handling of customer data.”
The company also sought to assure customers that their access to their accounts and data has not been changed.
When it comes to data protection, some states have laws that cover genetic privacy. At least 11 US have enacted laws that give consumers a say in how they use genetic data, according to an article published in 2023, published by Anya Prince, a law professor at the University of Iowa who studies health and genetic privacy.
These laws force users to require companies to delete their data and require law enforcement to obtain a warrant and access genetic information, Prince said.
23Andme also states that genetic data shared with researchers has been stripped of identifying information such as names and date of birth. In its bankruptcy FAQ, the company said it hopes to “ensure partners who share their commitment to customer data privacy.”
Joe Hernandez contributed to this report.
