Customers should delete their 23andMe data, AG says
NEW YORK (PIX11) – If you’ve used 23andMe, you should do something about your data, New York Attorney General Letitia James warned.
23andMe recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and its co-founder and CEO, Anne Wojcicki, resigned. The San Francisco-based company announced on Sunday that it will look to sell “substantially all of its assets” through a court-approved reorganization plan.
On Tuesday, James urged New Yorkers to delete their 23AndMe data and accounts and request that test samples be destroyed.
Here’s how to delete your 23andMe account and personal data, according to Attorney General Letitia James:
- Log in to your 23andMe account on their website.
- Go to the “Settings” section of your profile.
- Scroll to a section labeled “23andMe Data” at the bottom of the page.
- Click “View” next to “23andMe Data.”
- If you want a copy of your genetic data for personal storage, choose the option to download it to your device before proceeding.
- Scroll to the “Delete Data” section.
- Click “Permanently Delete Data.”
- You’ll receive an email from 23andMe; follow the link in the email to confirm your deletion request.
- If you previously opted to have your saliva sample and DNA stored by 23andMe, but want to change that preference, you can do so from your account settings page, under “Preferences.”
- If you previously consented to 23andMe and third-party researchers to use your genetic data and sample for research, you may withdraw consent from the account settings page under “Research and Product Consents.”
23andMe says its bankruptcy filing won’t change the way it stores or protects data. Board Chair Mark Jensen said Sunday that 23andMe is “committed to continuing to safeguard customer data” and that data privacy will be “an important consideration” in any future sale.
John Bringardner of Debtwire notes that any new buyer of 23andMe will have to comply with regulatory approvals that ensure “customer data won’t end up in unscrupulous hands.”
Still, who will end up owning 23andMe down the road is unknown. And experts note that risks remain.
"New Yorkers’ genetic data is sensitive information that must be protected at all costs," James said. "23andMe’s bankruptcy announcement is concerning and I am urging New Yorkers to take action to safeguard their data."
This story comprises reporting from the Associated Press.