You Should Delete Your 23andMe Data Now
23andMe, a genetic testing company that has collected data from more than 15 million customers, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is seeking a buyer. If you’re one of the millions who used 23andMe’s DNA sequencing process, the potential sale could have some serious privacy implications—and it’s time to delete your data.
How your privacy may be at risk
In a general sense, every time you give your data to a company, you give up some control over what happens to it. As 404 Media notes , in the case of 23andMe, this includes how your genetic information is analyzed, monetized, and protected, as well as whether it will be shared or sold (intentionally), or whether it will be disclosed or hacked (unintentionally).
While 23andMe said its bankruptcy filing “does not change how we store, manage and protect consumer data,” it is also impossible to know what will happen to millions of users’ genetic information in the hands of a potential buyer.
This poses a number of risks, according to privacy advocates interviewed by The Washington Post . 23andMe already suffered a data breach in 2023 in which hackers gained access to the records of about 7 million customers, and users are now trusting the bankrupt company to keep their information secure in the future.
23andMe’s privacy statement also leaves open the possibility of selling or transferring your data to a buyer as an asset. If that buyer’s terms and privacy policies are different, you are responsible for keeping track of those changes—and when was the last time you read the privacy policy?
Organizations like 23andMe have shared users’ genetic information with law enforcement, government agencies, pharmaceutical and insurance companies, raising a range of privacy concerns, from police using the data to identify suspects to insurers denying coverage based on genetic risk factors. Your genetic data is linked to your family members, so any invasion of privacy extends to other people.
23andMe itself has partnered with pharmaceutical companies such as GSK, and other genetic databases have formed similar partnerships after being sold to commercial organizations.
How to delete 23andMe data
According to a consumer warning from the California Attorney General, there are several steps you can take to protect your data from any potential privacy issues. First you need to remove your genetic data by following these steps:
-
Sign in to your 23andMe account.
-
Go to Settings > 23andMe Data .
-
Next to 23andMe Data, click View .
-
Download your data if you want to keep a copy.
-
Scroll to Delete Data and click Delete Data Permanently .
-
Click the link in your 23andMe confirmation email to complete your request.
You can also request destruction of your test sample in Settings > Preferences and withdraw consent to use of your data for research in Settings > Research and Product Consent .