Consumer Alert! New Yorkers Urged To Delete Personal Data From 23andMe ASAP!

CONSUMER ALERT from New York Attorney General Letitia James!

Now that the direct-to-consumer genetic testing company 23AndMe has filed for bankruptcy, New York Attorney General Letitia James urges customers to contact the company to delete your genetic data and destroy DNA samples as soon as possible.

Get our free mobile app

Generally speaking, 23andMe takes a customers saliva samples to determine his or hers ancestry. Tests can also show physical traits, such as type of hair or eye color and whether the customer is predisposed to certain health risks such as type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's.

23andMe commits to keeping your genetic data private by not sharing with employers, insurance companies or public databases without your consent. But what happens to this commitment after bankruptcy or when a new company takes over?

New Yorkers’ genetic data is sensitive information that must be protected at all costs. 23andMe’s bankruptcy announcement is concerning and I am urging New Yorkers to take action to safeguard their data. New Yorkers can follow instructions offered by my office to delete their data or destroy any DNA samples held by 23andMe. Anyone experiencing issues deleting their information stored with 23andMe should contact my office. - Attorney General Letitia James

According to a press release, these are some of the ways you can delete your 23andMe account:

• Log into your 23andMe account on their website.
• Go to the “Settings” section of your profile.
• Scroll to a section labeled “23andMe Data” at the bottom of the page.
• Click “View” next to “23andMe Data.”
• Download your data: If you want a copy of your genetic data for personal storage, choose the option to download it to your device before proceeding.
• Scroll to the “Delete Data” section.
• Click “Permanently Delete Data.”
• Confirm your request: You’ll receive an email from 23andMe; follow the link in the email to confirm your deletion request.