23andMe Bankruptcy Raises Alarm Over Genetic Data Privacy

The genetic testing company seeks to sell its assets, including data from 15 million users, as officials urge customers to delete their information.

23andMe has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is seeking to sell its assets, including a vast repository of genetic data from 15 million users.
Privacy experts and state attorneys general, including those from California and Maine, are urging users to delete their data to prevent potential misuse under new ownership.
The 2023 data breach, which exposed the information of nearly 7 million users, has intensified concerns about the security of genetic data during the bankruptcy process.
Anne Wojcicki, co-founder and former CEO, resigned to position herself as an independent bidder for the company during the court-supervised sale process.
The U.S. lacks comprehensive federal privacy laws to safeguard genetic data, leaving users vulnerable compared to stronger protections in the EU and UK.