23andMe has filed for bankruptcy. How to delete your genetic data

23andme Chapter 11 has been officially filed for insolvency conservation, which means its property – its vast genetic database – will soon be ready for sale.

The company continues to sell DNA test kits at its home, allowing consumers to achieve insights into their family history and genetic profiles. DNA data is particularly sensitive because each person’s sequence is unique, which means that it can never be completely anonymous, according to the National Human Genome Research Institute.

If genetic data comes in the hands of bad actors, it can be used to make identity theft, insurance fraud or other crimes facilitated. After reaching information of about 7 million customers in October 2023, 23andme has been plagued with privacy concerns in recent years.

As part of the bankruptcy process, the company said that it would look for a partner who shares its commitment to the customer data privacy, and that there will be no change on how it stored, manage and protects the data through the sales process.

The company said about bankruptcy filing in an FAQ page, “Our users ‘privacy and data are important ideas in any transaction, and we are committed to our users’ privacy and are transparent with our customers how their data is managed.” “Any buyer of 23andme will need to follow the applied law in relation to the treatment of customer data.”

Nevertheless, experts and officers are urging 23andme customers to move forward with caution. California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Friday issued a consumer alert, encouraging the residents to consider removing their genetic data from 23andme, based in their home state.

Bonta said, “In view of the 23andme reported financial crisis, I remind the people of California to implement their rights and direct their data to direct their data and direct to destroy any sample of genetic material organized by the company.”

Adrianus Warmenhoven, who works at the Security Advisory Board in NordVPN, described as genetic data ,The blueprint of your entire biological profile. “He encouraged consumers to remove their knowledge and be careful towards companies they chose to share as he moved forward.

“Regularly monitor your digital footprints, and you can also sign up for credit monitoring or identity theft protection services,” Warmanhovan said in a statement to CNBC. “Cancel permissions you don’t need, close any account that you do not use, and learn how your data is used.”

23andme said that customers can still remove their account and do it with data. This way:

Remove your genetic data from 23andme

• Go to 23andme.com and sign in to your account.
• Click on your profile in the upper the righthand corner of the site, then click “Settings”.
• Scroll on the section very below the page called “23andme data” and click on the oval button that says “view”.
• Check any data box that you want to download and click “Download the request”. This step is optional and may take up to 30 days. While waiting, you can continue with the following steps.
• Scroll below the page and click on the red button that says “remove the data permanently.”
• You will receive an email with the subject line “23andme delete account request.” Open it, and click on the button that says “permanently remove all records.” Your data will not be removed until you complete this step.

At this point, your personal information and your account will be permanently removed from 23andme, according to the company’s deletion email. Additionally, your data will not be used in any future research projects, and any individual sample stored by the company will be abandoned.

Watch: The rise and fall of 23andme