23andMe Bankruptcy Fuels Genetic Data Privacy Concerns

As the company seeks to sell its assets, experts and officials urge customers to delete their sensitive genetic data to prevent potential misuse.

23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 23, 2025, aiming to sell its assets, including its genetic data repository, through a court-supervised process.
Privacy experts and attorneys general, including those from Maryland and Arizona, are urging customers to delete their data, citing risks of misuse under new ownership.
Technical issues that initially prevented some users from deleting their data have been resolved, according to a company spokesperson.
Concerns about the lack of robust U.S. federal privacy laws highlight the potential vulnerabilities of genetic data in the event of a sale.
Anne Wojcicki, 23andMe’s co-founder, has stepped down as CEO and intends to bid for the company during the bankruptcy sale process.