The genetic testing and knowledge firm, 23andMe, introduced on March 23 that it has filed for chapter, after years of monetary struggles and knowledge privateness considerations.
Submitting for chapter will enable the corporate “to facilitate a sale course of to maximise the worth of its enterprise,” 23andMe mentioned in a press launch. The information additionally comes amid administration adjustments; in response to the press launch, Chief Govt Officer Anne Wojcicki is stepping down from her position, efficient instantly, however will proceed to function a board member. The corporate’s board chosen Chief Monetary and Accounting Officer Joe Selsavage to function the interim CEO.
Within the press launch, 23andMe mentioned it “intends to proceed working its enterprise within the unusual course all through the sale course of. There are not any adjustments to the best way the Firm shops, manages, or protects buyer knowledge.”
“We’re dedicated to persevering with to safeguard buyer knowledge and being clear concerning the administration of consumer knowledge going ahead, and knowledge privateness will likely be an essential consideration in any potential transaction,” Mark Jensen, chair and member of the Particular Committee of the Board of Administrators, mentioned within the press launch.
Nonetheless, some officers are urging prospects to contemplate deleting their knowledge. Only a few days earlier than the chapter announcement, on March 21, California Lawyer Basic Rob Bonta issued a client alert to 23andMe prospects, advising them to contemplate deleting their knowledge from the corporate’s web site.
“Given 23andMe’s reported monetary misery, I remind Californians to contemplate invoking their rights and directing 23andMe to delete their knowledge and destroy any samples of genetic materials held by the corporate,” Bonta mentioned in a press launch.
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Some expertise specialists additionally inspired 23andMe customers to delete their knowledge. Meredith Whittaker, the president of the messaging app Sign, mentioned in a put up on X: “It isn’t simply you. If anybody in your FAMILY gave their DNA to 23&me, for all your sakes, shut your/their account now. This may not resolve the problem, however they may (they declare) delete a few of your knowledge.”
In October 2024, NPR reported on prospects’ considerations over what might occur to their non-public knowledge amid the corporate’s monetary challenges. A 23andMe spokesperson informed NPR that the corporate was dedicated to privateness, however would not reply questions on what the corporate may do with buyer knowledge. Authorized specialists mentioned that there are few federal protections for purchasers, and nervous that the delicate knowledge might probably be offered off and even accessed by legislation enforcement, NPR reported.
The California Lawyer Basic’s Workplace outlined in its press launch on March 21 the steps prospects must take to delete their genetic knowledge from 23andMe: After logging into your account, click on on “Settings” and scroll to the underside of the web page to a piece known as “23andMe Information”; click on “View”; then you may obtain your knowledge; scroll to the “Delete Information” part and click on “Completely Delete Information.” You’ll obtain an e mail from 23andMe after that, and you’ll comply with the hyperlink within the e mail to verify your request to delete your knowledge.
In case you had beforehand allowed 23andMe to retailer a saliva pattern and DNA, you may change that choice by going to the “Settings” web page in your account, underneath “Preferences.” In case you had beforehand allowed 23andMe and third-party researchers to make use of your genetic knowledge and pattern for analysis functions, you may as well revoke that consent from the “Settings” web page, underneath “Analysis and Product Consents.”
Along with years of monetary challenges, 23andMe handled the fallout from a knowledge breach in 2023 that affected nearly 7 million prospects.
