After years of being one of the go-to platforms to get detailed ancestry data that helped many trace their long-lost relatives or discover those they didn’t even know existed, 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy protection, leaving the genetic data of millions in limbo.
As it happens, genetic testing and information company 23andMe announced its bankruptcy and intent to sell itself under the supervision of a court, alongside the resignation of its co-founder and CEO, Anne Wojcicki, according to the popular DNA testing firm’s press release from March 23.
Even though the company said it planned to continue operating throughout the sale procedure and that there would be “no changes to the way [it] stores, manages, or protects customer data,” the Attorney General in 23andMe’s home state of California issued a consumer alert advising customers to delete their information from the platform on March 21.
Indeed, California Attorney General Rob Bonta declared that 23andMe was in “financial distress and stated in securities filings that there is substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern,” with his press office providing instructions for concerned consumers and adding that:
“Due to the trove of sensitive consumer data 23andMe has amassed, Attorney General Bonta reminds Californians of their right to direct the deletion of their genetic data under the Genetic Information Privacy Act (GIPA) and California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA).”
How to delete your genetic data from 23andMe
So, if the recent turn of events has you concerned about where your sensitive DNA data might end up (whether sold off and/or used for unwanted purposes), you can delete your 23andMe account and personal information by taking these steps:
- Visit the 23andMe website and log into your account.
- Navigate to the ‘Settings’ section of your profile.
- Scroll down to the section ‘23andMe Data’ at the bottom.
- Press ‘View’ next to ‘23andMe Data.’
- (Optional) Download your data: If you want to retain a copy of your genetic data for yourself, choose the option to download it to your device before proceeding.
- Scroll down to the ‘Delete Data’ section.
- Press ‘Permanently Delete Data.’
- Confirm the request: You’ll receive an email from 23andMe – follow the URL in the message to confirm your deletion request.
How to destroy your 23andMe test sample
Furthermore, per the Attorney General’s instructions, you can also choose to have your stored saliva sample and DNA destroyed by selecting this option from your account settings page, under the ‘Preferences’ section.
How to revoke permission for use of your genetic data in research
If you previously consented to 23andMe and third-party researchers to use your genetic data and sample for research, you may withdraw this consent from your account ‘Settings’ page, under the ‘Research and Product Consents.’
Is your DNA data safe?
While there’s no definitive answer as to what will happen to your DNA data if 23andMe goes under, its fine print states that it may, indeed, sell it in case of financial distress and/or reorganization such as the one it’s going through at the moment:
“If we are involved in a bankruptcy, merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, your Personal Information may be accessed, sold, or transferred as part of that transaction and this Privacy Statement will apply to your Personal Information as transferred to the new entity. We may also disclose Personal Information about you to our corporate affiliates to help operate our services and our affiliates’ services.
All things considered, it’s better to err on the side of caution. Aside from the small print, the platform isn’t classified as a medical entity, so it isn’t protected like traditional health records, which means that the genetic information provided by users isn’t subject to the same privacy protections that apply in healthcare.
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