24 March 2025
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DNA testing company 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States in a bid to sell the company. Here's what this development means for customers and their genetic data.
23andMe have featured in the headlines in recent months, following a data breach in October 2023, and the $30 million pay-out to settle the subsequent lawsuits. In October 2024, all seven independent members of the 23andMe board resigned en masse; a response to CEO Anne Wojcicki’s plan to take 23andMe private.
These issues raised concerns over the company's future and now the company has filed for bankruptcy and CEO Anne Wojcicki has resigned. She will, however, continue to serve as a member of the board.
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Is this the end of 23andMe?
According to the company's Chair, Mark Jensen, the move is intended to allow a "court-supervised sale process… to maximize the value of the business." So a sale of the company is still possible.
CFO Joe Selsavage has stepped in as interim CEO, and, in a post on social media platform 'X', Anne Wojcicki stated that she intends to make another bid for the company during the bankruptcy process.
In the 23andMe press release, Mark Jensen adds:
"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."
What would a sale mean for customers' DNA data?
The 23andMe press release states that "Any buyer will be required to comply with applicable law with respect to the treatment of customer data and any transaction will be subject to customary regulatory approvals."
However, days before the news of the bankruptcy was released, California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a statement advising Californian customers to delete their genetic data.
In the statement, Bonta said: "Given 23andMe’s reported financial distress, I remind Californians to consider invoking their rights and directing 23andMe to delete their data and destroy any samples of genetic material held by the company.”
Mark Jensen also added: "we are committed to continuing to safeguard customer data and being transparent about the management of user data going forward, and data privacy will be an important consideration in any potential transaction."
As reported in October 2024, DNA expert Roberta Estes advises downloading your raw DNA from 23andMe, and also – working from your highest matches down your match list as far as you can – creating your own record (ideally in a spreadsheet) of the information on your DNA matches are related, and creating a ‘Relatives in Common Grid’.
Roberta advised customers to think very carefully before deleting data, particularly if you are managing the DNA kit of a person who is now deceased. Once their DNA account is deleted there is no way of recovering it.
However, with the company's future now in serious doubt, we recommend that customers who have tested with 23andMe keep abreast of further company news.
