What to know about your 23andMe data | What the Tech?

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (WHAT THE TECH?) — About 15 million people submitted saliva samples to 23andMe, hoping to learn their family’s ancestry. That treasure trove of information is stored on the company’s servers and now that the company is up for sale.

The fate of that DNA is up in the air.

Curiosity to find long-lost relatives and where your family originates is why many people submit DNA through in-home genetic testing kits. 23andMe assures customers their data is secure on their servers and is never shared with law enforcement or another company without permission. But a majority of 23andMe customers choose to share their DNA with third-party databases in hopes to learn more about their families.

The concern is, if another company buys 23andMe and its data, customers will be left to wonder if the new company will protect their DNA.

California’s attorney general and others are urging 23andMe customers to delete their data from the database and to destroy any samples of their genetic material held by the company. To do that, visit your account at 23andMe.com and locate your profile settings. Find the 23andMe data section. Click “view”, then 23andMe data and choose permanently delete data.

Before deleting it, I suggest downloading a copy of your genetic data for personal storage. You can revoke your consent to share your data with third-party companies for research.

23andMe said in a statement is will look for a partner who shares its commitment to customer data privacy.

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