23andMe files for bankruptcy: What you need to know to safeguard your personal data

Direct-to-consumer genetic testing company 23andMe recently filed for bankruptcy and you may be wondering how you can protect yourself as the business plans to sell its assets.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James urged New Yorkers Tuesday to protect their data by requesting 23andMe delete their personal data and destroy any samples of genetic material held by the company.

"23andMe's bankruptcy announcement is concerning and I am urging New Yorkers to take action to safeguard their data," James said. "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."

Here's what to know about 23andMe's bankruptcy filing and how you can protect your personal information.

What is 23andMe?

23andMe collects and analyzes your genetic code through saliva samples to help you trace your ancestry and provide insights on personal health risks, the AG's Office says.

Why did 23andMe file for bankruptcy?

In September 2024, 23andMe agreed to pay a $30 million statement in a class action lawsuit brought against the company for a 2023 data breach that affected 6.9 million customers, USA TODAY reported.

The lawsuit accused the company of failing to protect user data and neglecting to notify users of the breach. Account information, location, ancestry reports, DNA matches, family names, profile pictures and birthdates were all a part of the breach.

On Sunday, 23andMe founder and CEO Anne Wojcicki resigned and 23andMe Holding Co. announced it started voluntarily filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy with plans to "sell substantially all of its assets," according to a news release. The company intends to operate business as usual until the sale is completed, with no changes to how the company stores, manages or protects customer data.

“After a thorough evaluation of strategic alternatives, we have determined that a court-supervised sale process is the best path forward to maximize the value of the business,” Mark Jensen, Chair and member of the Special Committee of the Board of Directors, said in the release. “We expect the court-supervised process will advance our efforts to address the operational and financial challenges we face, including further cost reductions and the resolution of legal and leasehold liabilities.

"We believe in the value of our people and our assets and hope that this process allows our mission of helping people access, understand and benefit from the human genome to live on for the benefit of customers and patients.”

How to protect your data and personal information

Here's how you can delete your account and personal information, according to the AG's Office:

• 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.

If you previously opted to have your saliva sample and DNA stored by 23andMe but have since changed your mind, you can change your preference by going to the Settings page in your account and selecting "Preferences."

You can also withdraw consent for 23andMe and third-party researchers to use your genetic data and sample for research by going to the Settings page and selecting "Research and Product Consents."

What type of data can you download from 23andMe?

There's different data that 23andMe users can download from their profiles, including genetic information, registration and web behavior information, and self-reported information. Here are the different types of data:

• Reports summary: Brief description of all 23andMe report results
• Ancestry composition raw data: Genomic coordinates for ancestry composition results (CSV format)
• DNA relatives data: Shared DNA segments and profile data for DNA Relatives (CSV format)
• Raw data: Genetic data in its raw, uninterpreted format − As, Ts, Gs and Cs (Text format)
• Registration and web behavior: Account event history, mailing address associated with account, legal document, gift cards received from 23andMe, changes made to profile name, order history and shared reports
• Phenotype data: Data provided through research participation and/or 23andMe profile

In DNA, the As (Adenine), Ts (Thymine), Gs (Guanine) and Cs (Cytosine) represent the four nucleotide bases, the building blocks of DNA.

How to download raw 23andMe data

Raw 23andMe data consists of a user's genotype call data, the As, Ts, Gs and Cs. It is not interpreted.

Here's how to access and download raw 23andMe data:

1. Sign in to your 23andMe account
2. Go to "Account Settings"
3. Click "23andMe Data"
4. Request a "raw data download"

To request a raw data download, users must confirm their birthdate upon filing the initial request and after receiving a confirmation email a few days later.

This confirmation email will be sent two to four days after the request is made. Once the birthdate is confirmed, users can download their raw data. The data will be available to download in a zipped text file. After downloading the zip file to a desktop, unzip it to access its contents. The text file can be opened in a text editor like WordPad or Excel.

How to download reports summary, composition raw data and more

To access and download 23andMe reports summaries, composition raw data, and other information associated with your account, complete the following steps:

1. Sign in to your 23andMe account
2. Go to "Account Settings"
3. Click "23andMe Data"
4. Request the following:
   • Reports Summary
   • Ancestry Composition Data
   • Family Tree Data
   • Imputed Genotype Data R6
   • Phased Genotype Data
   • Profile Data

Requests can be made for multiple files at once. The Reports Summary and Ancestry Composition Raw Data are probably the most important files to download, as they contain key DNA test results.

Data can only be downloaded from a personal computer, not a public computer or mobile device, the 23andMe website states.

Having trouble deleting your 23andMe data? Here's what you can do

If you run into issues while trying to delete your 23andMe data, the AG's Office says to file a complaint online by visiting formsnym.ag.ny.gov.

You can also contact 23andMe's customer service by sending an email to privacy@23andme.com.

Contributing: USA Today Network

Emily Barnes reports on consumer-related issues for the USA TODAY Network’s New York Connect Team, focusing on scam and recall-related topics. Follow her on X and Instagram @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@gannett.com.