Attorney general urges Californians: Consider deleting genetic data from 23andMe
Attorney General Rob Bonta is advising people who have submitted their DNA to the California-based company 23andMe to invoke their state right to privacy and request that the company, which is facing bankruptcy, delete their genetic information.
23andMe, which analyzes saliva samples and provides personalized genetic, health and ancestry reports in return, is facing the potential of shutting down after its stock prices plummeted since going public in 2021.
It’s unclear what will happen to the DNA data of its 15 million customers if the firm shuts down.
Bonta issued a consumer alert Friday reminding state residents of their right to request 23andMe to delete their genetic information under the Genetic Information Privacy Act and California Consumer Protection Act.
“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,” Bonta said in a statement.
Customers can delete their 23andMe account and information by logging into their account on the 23andMe website, clicking “settings” on their profile; scrolling to the “23andMe” data section at the bottom of the page, clicking “view” next to “23andMe Data,” scrolling to the “Delete Data” section and clicking “permanently delete data.”
The user will then receive an email from 23andMe, after which they must follow a link to confirm their deletion request, Bonta said in a news release.
Genetic testing became popular in the 2000s, as companies like GEDMatch and 23andMe, which started in 2006, began selling at-home testing kits where people could send their DNA, usually saliva samples, to a laboratory for testing.
GEDMatch gained attention and notoriety in 2018 after law enforcement used one of its customers’ DNA profiles to identify and arrest Joseph James DeAngelo, known alternatively as the “Golden State Killer” and “East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker,” at his Citrus Heights home.
DeAngelo evaded prosecution for years while committing a string of murders and rapes across the Golden State between 1974 and 1986, including two murders and nine kidnappings in Sacramento County alone.
In 2020, Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael G. Bowman sentenced him to life in prison without parole. His current place of incarceration is unknown due to safety concerns.
