23andMe, the popular DNA and ancestry testing service, is declaring bankruptcy as California AG Rob Bonta warns customers to protect their data.
23andM3, along with Ancestry.com, helped pioneer at-home DNA testing, helping people track their genealogy, as well as gain potential insights into their predisposition to various diseases or ailments. Unfortunately, 23andMe has fallen on hard times, with the company opting for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Co-founder and CEO Anne Wojcicki announced the news in a LinkedIn post.
The 23andMe Special Committee released news today indicating their plan to take the company through the Chapter 11 process. While I am disappointed that we have come to this conclusion and my bid was rejected, I am supportive of the company and I intend to be a bidder. I have resigned as CEO of the company so I can be in the best position to pursue the company as an independent bidder.
Wojcicki recounted the company’s various successes over its nineteen-year history, before acknowledging the challenges it currently faces, as well as her belief in the company’s long-term future.
We have had many successes but I equally take accountability for the challenges we have today. There is no doubt that the challenges faced by 23andMe through an evolving business model have been real, but my belief in the company and its future is unwavering. Consumers are rising up and asking for more control over their health and want greater knowledge about how to be healthy and why they may have health issues. We fought for consumers to have direct access to their information and for them to have choice and transparency with respect to their personal data. As I think about the future, I will continue to tirelessly advocate for customers to have choice and transparency with respect to their personal data, regardless of platform.
Since 2006, we have built an incredible consumer brand with one of the world’s largest and most diverse genetic communities. Our foundation was the trust and respect of our customers, and they were always the guiding light on how we made decisions. If I am fortunate enough to secure the company’s assets through the restructuring process, I remain committed to our long-term vision of being a global leader in genetics and establishing genetics as a fundamental part of healthcare ecosystems worldwide.
California’s Warning
AG Bonta issued a warning to customers on March 21, saying customers should take advantage of the option to direct 23andMe to delete their genetic data.
“California has robust privacy laws that allow consumers to take control and request that a company delete their genetic data,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Given 23andMe’s reported financial distress, I remind Californians to consider invoking their rights and directing 23andMe to delete their data and destroy any samples of genetic material held by the company.”
AG Bonta went on to point how customers can withdraw consent for the company to continue to use their DNA for research purposes.
If you previously consented to 23andMe and third-party researchers to use your genetic data and sample for research, you may withdraw consent from the account settings page, under “Research and Product Consents.”
Under GIPA, California consumers can delete their account and genetic data and have their biological sample destroyed. In addition, GIPA permits California consumers to revoke consent that they provided a genetic testing company to collect, use, and disclose genetic data and to store biological samples after the initial testing has been completed. The CCPA also vests California consumers with the right to delete personal information, which includes genetic data, from businesses that collect personal information from the consumer.
23andMe’s current plight underscores the privacy issues involved in giving companies DNA, and the nightmare that can ensue when those companies’ future is suddenly in doubt.
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