The division is reminding residents of their rights and protections afforded to their genetic data under the Utah Consumer Privacy Act and the Genetic Information Privacy Act.
A direct-to-consumer genetic testing company, 23andMe, filed for bankruptcy this week after struggling financially for months.
The company uses saliva samples to provide consumers with reports on ancestry and genetic predispositions.
In a letter to customers, 23andMe said its filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy “does not change how we store, manage, or protect customer data. … Any buyer of 23andMe will be required to comply with applicable law with respect to the treatment of customer data.”
The California-based company insists customer information is protected, but the division says Utahns have the right to ask 23andMe to delete their accounts and genetic data.
Consumers also have the right to request data destruction to make sure their personal information is no longer stored or used.
Those with accounts to 23andMe can delete their accounts directly from the account settings page.
Upon an account’s deletion, 23andMe will automatically opt consumers out of research and discard their samples.
How to delete genetic data from 23andMe
- Sign in to your 23andMe account at www.23andme.com.
- Navigate to your profile’s “ Settings” section.
- Scroll down to the “23andMe Data” section at the bottom of the page.
- Click “View” next to the “23andMe Data” heading.
- If you would like to keep a copy of your genetic data, download your data before continuing.
- Locate the delete data option.
- Select “Permanently Delete Data”.
- Check your email for a confirmation link and follow it to complete the deletion process
