- 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy
- It means the company and all of its data is up for sale
- Unfortunately, that could include your personal information and your DNA, but there’s action you can take right now
23andMe – which oversaw a viral surge in DNA testing a couple of years ago and was once worth over $6bn – has filed for bankruptcy, and if you’ve ever used the service your data could be on the table.
The company announced on March 23 that it has initiated voluntary Chapter 11 proceedings in the US Bankruptcy Court “to facilitate a sale process to maximize the value of its business.”
The company said, “After a thorough evaluation of strategic alternatives, we have determined that a court-supervised sale process is the best path forward to maximize the value of the business.”
The company is seeking to sell “substantially all of its assets,” and it’s bad news for customers who have ever used the service.
As The Telegraph reports, 23andMe was once worth $6 billion but has seen revenue slump in recent years, reflecting a fall in the popularity of DNA testing. Now, with all of its assets on the chopping block, customer DNA data submitted to the company as part of its testing process could be up for sale.
As the report notes, 23andMe’s privacy statement, which all customers must accept to use the service, contains provisions that it may sell your personal information if it is ever involved in bankruptcy proceedings.
23andMe bankruptcy: Save your data
California’s Attorney General recently issued an urgent customer alert, outlining some of the actions customers can take to protect their data before 23andMe sells it off to the highest bidder.
Customers can delete their account and personal information on 23andMe’s website, specifically in the Settings section of their profile.
Before you do, you can also download a copy of your data for your personal storage, before selecting “Delete Data” in the 23andMe Data section.
If you’ve previously opted to have your saliva and DNA stored by 23andMe, you can also change this preference and get it destroyed by the company in the Preferences section.
Finally, you can also revoke your permission for your genetic data to be used for research in the Research and Product Consents section of the account settings page.
Alternatively, simply deleting your account should ensure your personal data, genetic data included, gets deleted.
These are primarily targeted at California consumers but everyone who has ever used 23andMe can access these settings and should be able to carry out at least some of the steps to protect their data.
Alongside the bankruptcy proceedings, 23andMe announced that CEO Anne Wojcicki is resigning her role with immediate effect.
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stephen.warwick@futurenet.com (Stephen Warwick)
