DNA and genetic inspection firms 23andme were in turmoil in 2023 due to data leaks and continuous reductions. The giant, which is once held, is now strengthening concerns about what will happen to the genetic data of about 15 million customers of 23andme in the face of an uncertain future as the bankruptcy of the company disappears.
23andme, the saliva -based test kit that can see human genetic ancestors, is the most well -known for 23andme, and since it was released in early 2021 after not profitable, the value of $ 6 billion to more than 99% has plummeted.
The lack of profit is due to the weakness of consumers’ interest in the 23andme usage on -stop kit and the lack of growth of subscription services. The company also saw hackers stealing almost 7 million users’ ancestors in 2023 due to huge data violations for several months, and the company agreed to pay $ 30 million to solve a lawsuit related to violations in September.
In less than a week, ANNE WOJCICKI, founder and CEO of 23andme, said, “We are considering a third -party acquisition proposal.” WOJCICKI said he plans to quickly walk the statement and take the company private. But the damage was done and all members of the company’s independent board of directors resigned immediately.
After applying for bankruptcy protection in March 2024, the assets of companies, including vast DNA data banks, will be sold through court supervision. Wojcicki also resigned from the company.
Where do you leave the genetic data of millions of people?
23andme is mostly constrained by its own rules.
As proved by data leaks in 2023, hackers seemed to steal information such as genetic predisposition and ancestors reports of 23andme, which collects a lot of information from the user.
If you are one of millions of people who have delivered saliva 23andme to learn about your ancestors, this data may have been assumed that this data remains an individual in accordance with laws such as health insurance portable and responsible laws. As is known, HIPAA sets a standard that prevents sensitive health information from disclosing personal knowledge or consent.
But 23andme is not a company dealing with HIPAA. Therefore, 23andme is arrested only by its own personal information protection policy and can be changed at any time.
Andy Kill, a spokesman for 23andme, told TechCrunch that the company believes that it is more appropriate and transparent for the data we process than the HIPAA model used by the traditional medical industry.
The lack of federal rules and the confusion of the national privacy law means that if 23andme is in the face of sales, millions of Americans are on the table. According to the company’s personal information protection policy, as part of bankruptcy, merger, acquisition, reorganization or sales, it can be “access, sales or transfer” to the customer’s personal information.
WOJCICKI clearly stated that customer data is an asset that can be sold, and investors told investors that 23andme will no longer pursue cost -intensive drug development programs and instead focus on marketing pharmaceutical companies and researchers with vast customer databases.
23andme argues that the data privacy policy will not change when selling. This policy states that the company will not share the user’s information with the law execution without an insurance company or a warrant. The latter turned more and more to third -party DNA companies for genetic information, but according to the long -term transparency transparency report, all US laws have been resisted to all US law enforcement requests for such data.
Potential buyers of 23andme can have completely different ideas on how to use the company’s potential valuable DNA data. Privacy advocates of Digital Rights Group Electronic Frontier Foundation have already urged 23andme to resist the sales of a company related to law enforcement, and the police warns that the police can use the customer’s genetics data indiscriminately.
“Our promise to apply the conditions for the personal information of both cities or urban personal information is clear. The 23andme Service Terms and Privacy Policy are not possible only after the customer presents and agrees with new terms and conditions, and after receiving the appropriate notice of the new terms and conditions according to the applicable data protection law.
Delete an account in advance
Now, as 23andme faces bankruptcy, 23andme customers must take action to prevent data sales.
Attorney General Rob Bonta, California, said in a statement after 23andme applied for bankruptcy, the main residents had the right to require deletion of genetic data according to state law.
Meredith Whittaker, the president of the end -to -end encryption messaging app signal, said in X’s post: “It’s not a family. If someone of the family has closed his account for everything (23andme), he now close his account.”
EVA Galperin, a cyber security director of EFF, also warned the user to take action. Galperin said in a post about X, “If you have a 23andme account, today is a good day to log in and request data deletion.
It is relatively easy to request data deletion in 23andme.
Log in to the 23andme account and explore setting > Account information > Delete your account. 23andme shows a message asking you to check your decision, and your account deletion is permanent and irreversible.
There is an important warning. As mentioned in the 23andMe personal information protection policy, the deletion of account is “a target of preservation requirements and certain exceptions,” which means that the company can have some data for the time when it is not specified.
For example, 23andme holds genetic information, date of birth and gender “as necessary for compliance,” and maintains limited data related to deletion requests.
Similarly, if you already agree to share data for research purposes, you can reverse that consent, but there is no way to delete the information. Kill says that about 80% (about 12 million) of 230,000 customers agree to participate in the research program.
It was first posted on October 19, 2024 and has been updated since then.
