23 And Me Filed For Bankruptcy, How To Delete Your Genetic Data

This Consumer Alert concerns the safety of your genetic data. On Sunday, 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and the company will be sold to the highest bidder. In a recent interview, weeks before the announced bankruptcy, News10NBC’s Deanna Dewberry asked Ruth Tennen, 23andMe’s senior product scientist, about the controversy surrounding the company and questions about the safety of genetic information. “So, I’m not the best person to speak to that. I can say that protecting our customer’s privacy is a huge priority for us and we are continuing to be committed to our mission to help people access, understand, and benefit from the human genome,” Tennen said. Tennen’s failure to directly answer the question looms large on Monday as the company prepares to be sold. While company leaders vow to sell 23andMe to an entity committed to protecting customer data, there’s little to keep the new owners from doing as they will with the genetic information after the purchase.  23andMe has the genetic data of 15 million customers, not patients, meaning they don’t have the clear privacy protections provided by HIPAA. The company suffered a huge cybersecurity breach two years ago that put the data of 7 million customers at risk and paid out $30 million in a class action lawsuit.

23andMe has the genetic data of 15 million customers, not patients, meaning they don’t have the clear privacy protections provided by HIPAA. The company suffered a huge cybersecurity breach two years ago that put the data of 7 million customers at risk and paid out $30 million in a class action lawsuit.  In the meantime, if you’re a 23andMe customer, the New York Attorney General is encouraging you to delete your data. To do that, go to the company’s website and select “Settings” under your account profile. Scroll down to the section titled “23andMe Data” and click “View.” You’ll then be asked to verify your age. Then the next screen will give you the option to delete your 23andMe account. You’ll then get an email asking you to confirm your deletion request.

Source: WHEC-TV