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(News Nation) – After financial uncertainty and a recent extension of layoffs, 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, CEO Anne Wojcicki resigned despite a failed purchase bid.
The genetic testing company has genetic data from over 15 million customers. California Attorney General Rob Bonta warns users to purge data faster and faster.
In a news release, Bonta said it is important for customers to “take control and require the company to delete genetic data” by utilizing “robust privacy laws.”
Genetic Ancestor Giant 23andme File for Bankruptcy
In a news release announcing the bankruptcy filing, 23andMe Chairman Mark Jensen thanked the company’s employees and ensured the security of customer data.
File-23AndMe CEO Anne Wojcicki will speak on February 20, 2013 at the announcement of the groundbreaking awards for the Genentech Hall Life Science Awards, located at UCSF’s Mission Bay Campus in San Francisco.
Jensen said 23AndMe “promising to continue protecting customer data and be transparent about future user data management, and data privacy will be an important consideration in potential transactions.”
The company added in its letter to its customers: “23andMe buyers must comply with applicable laws regarding the handling of customer data.”
According to NPR, approximately 80% of 23AndMe customers agree to analyse genetic data for medical research when they sign up for the service.
Despite the guarantees from 23andMe, cybersecurity expert Aaron Rose, CTO’s office at Check Point Software, says potential sales at auctions will come with a significant level of uncertainty for customers.
“Is the data privacy policy and contracts that we have always agreed to with 23and Me, transferable? [the buyer] Rose said.
Even if the privacy policy remains the same and the sale is forwarded, Rose adds that new entities will have deep access to personal information, which comes with risk.
“How do you know they’re taking the right cybersecurity measures? Now, no one knows who and who it will be, so unfortunately, there are more questions at this point than the answer,” Rose said.
Healthcare information is usually protected under the Privacy Act, but information obtained by consumer companies (information called “delicate consumer data” by Bonta does not guarantee the same protection.
“The personal data collected by 23AndMe is always at risk,” Bringardner wrote in an emailed commentary on Monday. In particular, it points to a 2023 data breaches that violated the ancestor information of nearly 7 million 23andME customers. He added that the lawsuit from the aftermath of this violation helped drive the debt that ultimately contributed to the current bankruptcy filing.
Last year, 23AndMe agreed to pay $30 million in cash to settle a class action lawsuit to accuse the company of failing to protect customers whose personal information was publicly disclosed in the violation. On Sunday, the company said it plans to use bankruptcy proceedings to “settle all outstanding legal liabilities” resulting from the October 2023 incident.
How to delete data from 23andMe
Users can delete data from the 23andMe website.
The “23andme data” section is[23andme data “」セクションをクリックしている「23andmeデータ」セクションをクリックすると、「[23andme data”の[23andme]Click on the Data section[設定]Click to see if “microdating” ozempics become trending?
According to Bonta, 23andme sends a follow-up email so that users can confirm their decision to delete their data.
If you want to take it a step further, you can delete your account completely below.
Scroll to Account Information section Select Delete Account
23AndMe Bankruptcy: Which states have genetic privacy laws?
According to a March 2024 article in the Privacy Forum Future, 10 states, including California, have enacted privacy laws for consumer genetic testing companies.
The state includes:
ArizonaCaliforniaKentuckyMarylandMontanaMontanaUtaTennesseeTexasVirginiaWyoming
NewsNation’s Ashley N. Soriano and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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