Following 23andMe’s bankruptcy filing in March and its recent $256 million acquisition by Regeneron, concerns have surged over the genetic data of 15 million customers. Regeneron plans to use this data to help develop new drugs, prompting privacy advocates and lawmakers to urge users to safeguard their information.
At a House Oversight Committee hearing, interim CEO Joseph Selsavage revealed that 1.9 million customers—about 15% of users—have already requested data deletion. Meanwhile, more than two dozen states are suing the company, demanding explicit customer consent before any sale of their genetic data.
If you’re a 23andMe customer, here’s how you can delete your data:
- Log in to your account and go to Settings.
- Scroll to the 23andMe Data section.
- Click View, then scroll to the Delete Data area.
- Select Permanently Delete Data and follow the confirmation link sent via email.
You may also download your data before deletion. However, 23andMe’s privacy policy states it may retain your genetic information, birth date, sex, and some account details for legal and compliance reasons, meaning not all data will be erased.
To destroy your stored DNA sample and withdraw from research use:
- In Settings, go to Preferences to revoke permission for sample storage.
- Visit the Research and Product Consents section to withdraw your consent for research.
Note: While you can revoke consent, previously used data for research cannot be deleted.
Finally, encourage your relatives to do the same. Because DNA is shared among family members, their data can still indirectly expose yours. Talk to friends and loved ones to help them protect their information, too.
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