New York AG Advises 23andMe Customers to Delete Data Amidst Bankruptcy Filing

Data Privacy Concerns with 23andMe

• ⚠️ The New York Attorney General's office is preparing to warn customers of 23andMe to delete their personal data.
• 💡 This warning comes after 23andMe announced it is filing for bankruptcy and seeking a buyer.
• 🎯 Over 15 million people have used 23andMe for DNA analysis, raising concerns about how a new owner might handle their sensitive genetic information.

Expert and Advocate Recommendations

• 🗣️ Data privacy advocates, like David Cifer, express concern that genetic health risk information could be sold and end up with insurers or employers.
• 🗑️ The primary advice for customers is to delete their data from the platform, ideally as soon as they have satisfied their curiosity.
• 💻 Users can initiate data deletion by navigating to the settings page within their 23andMe account.

Company Assurances and Customer Actions

• 🔒 23andMe has previously stated that any shared customer data is anonymized and untraceable to individuals.
• 📜 The company also claims that deleting data will result in the destruction of the genetic sample itself, though the transcript notes this is based on the company's word.
• ⚖️ 23andMe asserts that any potential buyer must comply with data privacy laws.
• 📣 The Attorney General of California is also urging users to delete their data, with New York's AG expected to issue similar guidance soon.