SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO — With genetic testing company 23andMe facing an increasingly uncertain future, California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Friday reminded customers they have the right to tell the firm to permanently delete their data.
The South San Francisco-based company has publicly reported it is in financial distress and stated in recent securities filings that there is substantial doubt about its ability to keep going, the California Attorney General’s Office said in a news release.
The “trove of sensitive consumer data” amassed by 23andMe is subject to deletion under both the Genetic Information Privacy Act and the California Consumer Protection Act, according to the office.
“California has robust privacy laws that allow consumers to take control and request that a company delete their genetic data,” Bonta said in a statement. “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.”
Customers can delete their 23andMe account and personal information by taking the following steps:
- Log into your 23andMe account on the company’s 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.
- Scroll to the “delete data” section.
- Click “permanently delete data.”
- Confirm your request. You will receive an email from 23andMe. Click the link to confirm your deletion request.
On the website, customers can also direct the company to destroy stored saliva samples and DNA, as well as revoke permission for their genetic data to be used for research.