You Should Delete Your 23andMe Data Right Now
Your genetic information could be sold, putting your privacy at risk.
JaneWalter
Credit: Jennie Book / Shutterstock.com
23andMe, the genetic testing company that has collected data from more than 15 million customers, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is looking for a buyer. If you're one of those millions who has used 23andMe's DNA sequencing process, there are a number of serious privacy implications with a potential sale—and it's time to delete your data.
How your privacy may be at risk
In a general sense, any time you give your data to a company, you cede some control over what happens to it. As 404 Media points out, in the case of 23andMe, this includes how your genetic information is analyzed, monetized, and secured, as well as whether it will be shared or sold (intentionally) or leaked or hacked (unintentionally).
While 23andMe has stated that its bankruptcy filing "does not change how we store, manage, or protect consumer data," there's also no way to know what will happen to millions of users' genetic information in a potential buyer's hands.
This presents a number of risks, according to privacy advocates interviewed by The Washington Post. 23andMe already suffered a data breach in 2023 in which hackers accessed the records of around 7 million customers, and users are now trusting a company navigating bankruptcy to keep their information secure going forward.
23andMe's privacy statement also leaves open the possibility of your data being sold or transferred to a buyer like an asset. If that buyer's privacy terms and practices differ, you're responsible for tracking those changes—and when is the last time you actually read a privacy policy?
Organizations similar to 23andMe have shared users' genetic information with law enforcement, government agencies, and pharmaceutical and insurance companies, which opens a whole host of privacy concerns, from police using the data to identify suspects to insurers denying coverage based on genetic risk factors. Your genetic data is connected to your family members, so any invasions of privacy also extend to other people.
What do you think so far?
23andMe itself has collaborated with pharma companies like GSK, and other genetic databases have created similar partnerships after being sold to for-profit entities.
How to delete your 23andMe data
According to a consumer alert from the California attorney general, there are a few steps you can take to protect your data from any potential privacy concerns. First, you'll want to delete your genetic data using the following steps:
Log into your account on the 23andMe website.
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 Permanently Delete Data.
Click the link in the confirmation email from 23andMe to finalize your request.
You can also request that your test sample be destroyed under Settings > Preferences and revoke consent for your data to be used in research under Settings > Research and Product Consents.
