Delete your data now!

Bad news: 23andMe has gone bankrupt and is up for sale. Who knows where all that data they store is going to end up? I sent in my saliva sample years ago, they’ve got my genetic sequence on file, and I hadn’t worried about it until now, but now I am concerned. So is Rebecca Watson.

Another issue that came to light in the past few years is how can a for-profit corporation remain solvent when they make all their money on a product that, by definition, a customer can only buy once? And that’s why today, the biggest problem everyone has is that 23andMe has, in fact, declared bankruptcy. And that means that if you’re one of their customers, your genetic data might end up in the hands of someone you don’t trust.

23andMe has stated that they’ll be protecting that data throughout the bankruptcy proceedings, but people are understandably skeptical of that considering that they already gave hackers access to the data for 7 million users a few years ago, giving up user passwords and allowing the hackers to see users’ family trees.

That’s why California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a consumer alert reminding people that the Genetic Information Privacy Act and the California Consumer Privacy Act give customers the right to demand that23andMe delete all their data and even destroy any samples they might still have on file. Obviously that’s for Californians, but it’s part of the reason why customers anywhere can in fact log in and do that, and Bonta gives step by step instructions for anyone who wants to.

Here’s the steps you can take to clear your data:

To Delete Genetic Data from 23andMe:

Consumers can delete their account and personal information by taking the following steps: 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.

I’ve started the process for my data. However, there is an option to first request that they email your genetic data, and yes, I clicked on that…and it’s been 3 days, and I still haven’t received it. I think I’m going to have to cancel and just go ahead and delete everything without saving a copy. This is a comment that ought to chill you right down to the nucleus of all your cells: Charles Murray wants someone to buy the company for him, or his racist friends:

Charles Murray: Okay, my billionaire friends. $23m is pocket change! And it would make me so happy.

Nope, nope, nope. I’m going to have to kill my data fast.

Hey, I don’t have any billionaire friends. What have I done right in my life?