1.9M Rush to Delete 23andMe Data After Bankruptcy: Should You Do the Same?

As part of its bankruptcy proceedings, DNA testing provider 23andMe is trying to find a suitable buyer. But nearly 2 million users are not sticking around to see who acquires the company and their data, and have requested that 23andMe delete their DNA records. However, that’s only 15% of 23andMe’s user base. Why aren’t more people ditching the company? Should you be worried?

The company revealed its deletion stats during a House hearing this week about the privacy implications of 23andMe selling its business.

“Yes, since we announced bankruptcy, we’ve had 1.9 million customers call and request that we delete their data,” said 23andMe Interim CEO Joseph Selsavage. “And we have done so, within a reasonable time frame.”

Customers either called, emailed, or requested through the website that their data be deleted, he added. The number is “roughly 15%” of 23andMe’s 15 million customers.

Those deletions explain why 23andMe’s site temporarily went down when the company initially announced its bankruptcy filing. At the time, Similarweb tracked 1.5 million visits to the 23andMe website, which lets users close their account and delete their data through a settings page. 

Anne Wojcicki and interim CEO Joe Selsavage (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Many users are worried that 23andMe’s data could be sold to a company that will misuse their DNA information. However, 23andMe has told the bankruptcy court that it’s committed to finding a buyer that will safeguard user privacy. 

23andMe originally planned on selling to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, a US-based drug developer. But it has since kicked off a new auction after former CEO Anne Wojcicki made a $305 million bid to buy the company through the TTAM Research Institute, a California nonprofit.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Selsavage emphasized that Regeneron and TTAM have committed to maintaining 23andMe’s existing privacy policy. This policy bars 23andMe from disclosing users’ DNA data to law enforcement, insurance providers, and employers, although it can share “de-identified” user data with research partners, with consent.

Still, 23andMe is facing a lawsuit from dozens of US states, which argue the company should be blocked from transferring sensitive user data to a new buyer unless it receives permission from every customer. However, in a separate Senate hearing, Selsavage claimed it had already gained consent from each user through its existing privacy policy, which customers have to agree to on signup.

How to Delete Your 23andMe Data

(Credit: 23andMe)

It’s still possible to delete your data or your entire account. Navigate to Settings, scroll down to the 23andMe Data section at the bottom, and click View on the right. Enter your birthday, scroll to the bottom of the next page, and click Permanently Delete Data.

Once you submit your request, 23andMe will email you to confirm it. Doing so will prompt the company to discard your genetic testing samples and prevent the company from using the data for future research projects. It could take up to 30 days to go into effect, though.

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About Michael Kan

Senior Reporter

I’ve been working as a journalist for over 15 years—I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017.

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