- 23andme has filed a bankruptcy
- This means that the company and all its data are on sale
- Unfortunately, this could include your personal information and your DNA, but there are measures that you can take now
23Andme – which supervised a viral increase in DNA tests a few years ago and used to be more than $ 6 billion – has filed a record, and if you have already used the service, your data could be on the table.
The company announced on March 23 that it had initiated voluntary procedures in Chapter 11 before the American bankruptcy court “to facilitate a sales process in order to maximize the value of its activities”.
The company said: “After an in -depth assessment of strategic alternatives, we determined that a sales process with the court is the best way to follow to maximize the value of the company.”
The company seeks to sell “almost all of its assets”, and that is bad news for customers who have already used the service.
As the Telegraph reports, 23andm was once worth $ 6 billion, but has seen income fall in recent years, reflecting a decrease in the popularity of DNA tests. Now, with all its assets on blocking, the customer’s DNA data subject to the company as part of its test process could be for sale.
As the report notes, the confidentiality declaration of 23andme, that all customers must accept to use the service, contains provisions according to which it can sell your personal information if it is ever involved in the bankruptcy procedure.
23andme bankrupt: save your data
The California Attorney General recently published an urgent customer alert, describing some of the actions that customers can take to protect their data before 23andme sends it to the most offering.
Customers can delete their account and personal information on the 23andme website, especially in the Parameters Section of their profile.
Before doing it, you can also download a copy of your data for your personal storage, before selecting “Delete the data” in the 23andme data section.
If you have already chosen to store your saliva and DNA by 23andme, you can also modify this preference and destroy it by the company in the Preferences section.
Finally, you can also revoke your authorization so that your genetic data is used for research in the Product research and consent Account settings section section.
Alternatively, simply delete your account should Make sure your personal data, the genetic data included is deleted.
These are mainly intended for California consumers, but all those who have already used 23andme can access these parameters and should be able to carry out at least some of the steps to protect their data.
In addition to the bankruptcy procedure, 23andme announced that CEO Anne Wojcicki resign her role with immediate effect.
