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If you've ever used 23andMe in the past then you should probably go ahead and request for your data to be deleted, as the company's currently bankruptcy proceedings might put your literal data at risk.
Breaches that involve your online information, sensitive data, and even financial information are all extremely damaging to anyone that is a victim, but popular ancestry website 23andMe's current situation puts its users at risk in a way that they've likely never encountered before.
As reported by the Washington Post, California Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued a cybersecurity alert for consumers, warning them to take measures immediately:
"I remind Californians to consider invoking their rights and directing 23andMe to delete their data and destroy and samples of genetic material held by the company."
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The importance of this particular warning comes from the fact that 23andMe hold your literal living human data in their records, and if that finds its way into the wrong - or frankly even different - hands, then you have no control over how its used.
Having previously been subject to a controversial data breach in 2023 where customer information including family trees, birth years, and geographic locations were accessed by hackers, many worry that 23andMe will be more vulnerable than ever now that it's in the process of bankruptcy.
On top of this, the company's privacy statement appears to indicate that all of your data is treated as a saleable asset, which is particular pertinent at the moment when everything deemed 'valuable' will be on the table:
"If we are involved in a bankruptcy, merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, your Personal Information may be accessed, sold or transferred as part of that transaction," the statement reads.
Predictably, many across the internet have reacted negatively to the prospect of their DNA data being sold to the highest bidder.
"It will be sold to either a private equity firm or Apple, all for the taking so we can all be exploited even further," argues one user on Reddit, adding: "The future is exciting, right? We're doomed."
"If someone could make some laws that I own my data that would be great," another added.
Thankfully if you live in a select few states you have specific rights that give you the right to request that companies like 23andMe delete your data. California residents in particular have a number of protections, including the California Consumer Protection Act and the Genetic Information Privacy Act, which both allow you to request the deletion and destruction of both your account and data.
To do this, simply log in to your 23andMe account, head to your 'Profile' and select 'Settings', then find the '23andMe Data' section near the bottom. When you're there, select 'View', head to the 'Delete Data' section, then select 'Permanently Delete Data'.
You can also opt to download any data that you have been given here too before it's lost forever, giving you a way of keeping anything that you find important, just in case.
