23andMe Bankruptcy and Your Data
The company has declared bankruptcy, and it appear that your data may be at risk as assets may be taken over by bidders. The company was, once, very popular on Wall Street shortly after its founding. Its current value is a pittance compared to what it was at its peak. Privacy advocates warn that the data may not be protected and could be used for other than its original purposes. Some states like California have protection laws for consumers regarding deletion. Most states do not have similar laws so you are tasked with a do-it-yourself.
The company had never been profitable and this event was probably inevitable. The company says it is searching for a partner “who shares our commitment”. Any buyer would technically be bound by agreements with users, but it does give rise to much uncertainty.
Your personal data may be at risk as privacy policies may change in the future. Experts advise strongly to consider deleting your data by going to the company website and following these steps:
- Log in
- Go to Settings
- Scroll down to 23andME Data
- Click View (you could download a copy for your own use here)
- Scroll down to Delete Data
- Click Permanently Delete Data.
- You will receive a confirmation email
- Click on the link to complete the deletion process.
To destroy any biological sample that was used to extract your DNA, if you had previously authorized the company to keep it, go back to Settings, then Preferences.
You might also opt out of future research.
From www.wired.com March 24, 2025