California Attorney General issues warning: demand the deletion of your genetic data now!

If you’ve ever spat in a tube for 23andMe, California’s top law enforcement officer wants you to think very carefully about what happens next.

Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued an urgent consumer alert, warning customers of the at-home DNA testing company that they have the legal right to delete their genetic data - and perhaps now is a good time to act. The message? Your data could be vulnerable, and it’s yours to erase.

What is the issue with 23and Me?

The alert follows public filings by 23andMe revealing that the company is in serious financial distress. The California-based genetic testing giant disclosed in securities documents that there’s “substantial doubt” it can continue operating. And that’s where the red flags start waving.

23andMe doesn’t just hold email addresses or mailing data. It holds genetic blueprints. Information about your ancestry, health markers, disease risk factors - and perhaps most concerning, a DNA profile that’s nearly impossible to anonymize. That kind of data, in the wrong hands or a bankruptcy fire sale, could be a privacy nightmare.

How to delete your genetic data from 23andMe

California residents have powerful legal tools under state laws like the Genetic Information Privacy Act (GIPA) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). These laws give you the right to:

• Delete your 23andMe account and permanently erase genetic data
• Revoke research permissions you previously gave
• Destroy any stored biological samples (like that tube of saliva you sent in)

The steps aren’t hard, but they are buried in the site. Here’s a quick guide as per the official communication:

1. Log in to your 23andMe account
2. Go to your Settings
3. Scroll to ‘23andMe Data’ at the bottom
4. Click ‘View’, then download your data if you want a personal copy
5. Scroll down again and select ‘Permanently Delete Data’
6. Check your inbox – 23andMe will send a confirmation email
7. Follow the link to complete the deletion

If you also want your saliva sample destroyed, head to your settings under ‘Preferences’ and revoke storage permissions. For withdrawing from research programs, go to ‘Research and Product Consents’ and pull the plug.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has also joined in the warning:

Why you should consider acting now

Once a company is circling the drain financially, the fate of its user data becomes murky. A change in ownership or bankruptcy proceedings can lead to data being transferred or sold. And genetic data is the kind of personal information you probably don’t want in a liquidation bundle.

Bonta isn’t saying 23andMe has already done anything wrong, but is suggesting you may want to get ahead.

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