- Bankrupt 23andMe will be allowed to sell customers’ genetic data to other companies. The company claims its security measures surrounding the data will remain in place, but its privacy policy says it can change those procedures at any time. 23andMe customers do have a way to delete their genetic and ancestral data, however.
A U.S. Bankruptcy judge ruled DNA-testing company 23andMe, which filed for bankruptcy Sunday, has the right to sell customers’ medical and ancestry data to potential bidders. Offers will be due on May 7, and a final hearing will be held in June.
Once the hottest start-up in Silicon Valley, shares for the San Francisco-based company soared as much as 158% on Thursday. Investors see the sensitive data of 23andMe’s 15 million customers as the company’s most valuable asset.
After 23andMe set hurried deadlines for potential bidders, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Brian C. Walsh later delayed those dates by two weeks to gratify his schedule as well as to allow creditors a chance to evaluate before the court arrives at a decision.
While genetic data of 23andMe’s customers will be up for grabs, the company says security measures will remain in place surrounding customer data. The company will continue to be “transparent about the management of user data going forward, and data privacy will be an important consideration in any potential transaction,” board chairman Mark Jensen said in a statement.
According to the company’s privacy policy, in a bankruptcy, merger, or acquisition, sensitive customer data will carry the same contingencies, but the policy also mentions that these procedures can be changed at will. 23andMe emphasized any potential bidders must agree to comply with the company’s security measures concerning customer data, according to its privacy policy.
“There’s health insurance companies that are interested in this data, there’s life insurance companies that are interested in this data,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta told ABC News7 earlier this week.
How to delete your data
While 23andMe claims user data will remain protected, the company also allows users to wipe their data from the platform. Here’s how to do it.
Once logged into your account, toggle over to the “Settings” portion of your profile. Find the “23andMe” data section located at the bottom of the page, then click “view.” Users can opt to download their data at this stage. Then, users can scroll to the “Delete Data” section and select the “Permanently Delete Data” option. 23andMe will make users confirm their request via email, and once more through a link.
Customers who have chosen to have saliva samples preserved by 23andMe previously can request they be discarded via the settings page under “Preferences.” Additionally, if a user has allowed their data from 23andMe to be used by third-party researchers, they can withdraw their consent within the setting page under “Research and Product Consents.”