After 23andMe Bankruptcy, Customers Urged To Delete Their Data
11:26 minutes
If you’re one of roughly 15 million people who used 23andMe to unlock information from their DNA, consumer advocates have a message for you: Delete your data. On Sunday, the company, which has customers send saliva samples for DNA analysis, filed for bankruptcy. While many customers submitted their saliva for the purpose of ancestral analysis, 85% of customers also consent to their data used for genetic disease research.
As the company searches for a buyer, consumer advocates, including California Attorney General Rob Bonta, have urged customers to delete their data from 23andMe’s website. 23andMe and other genetic testing companies are not subject to HIPAA, meaning health and medical records kept by 23andMe could be shared with a future buyer.
Producer Kathleen Davis joins Host Flora Lichtman to discuss this and other top science stories of the week, including the longest-ever carbon chains found on Mars, AI models’ attempts to cheat at chess, how we might be judging people based on their audio quality when speaking remotely, and footage of an octopus riding a shark.
How To Delete Your Data From 23andMe:
This release from California Attorney General Bonta provides a step-by-step guide to deleting your 23andMe data and destroying your test sample.
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Meet the Producers and Host
About Kathleen Davis
Kathleen Davis is a producer and fill-in host at Science Friday, which means she spends her weeks researching, writing, editing, and sometimes talking into a microphone. She’s always eager to talk about freshwater lakes and Coney Island diners.
About Flora Lichtman
Flora Lichtman is a host of Science Friday. In a previous life, she lived on a research ship where apertivi were served on the top deck, hoisted there via pulley by the ship’s chef.