{"id":17087,"date":"2025-03-31T14:10:25","date_gmt":"2025-03-31T18:10:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/?p=17087"},"modified":"2025-03-31T14:10:28","modified_gmt":"2025-03-31T18:10:28","slug":"everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-23andme-bankruptcy-and-your-privacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-23andme-bankruptcy-and-your-privacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything You Need to Know About the 23andMe Bankruptcy and Your Privacy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#whats-happening-to-the-genetic-data-you-gave-to-23-and-me\">What\u2019s Happening to the Genetic Data You Gave to 23andMe?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#isnt-my-genetic-data-anonymized\">Isn\u2019t My Genetic Data Anonymized?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#this-doesnt-affect-me\">\u201cThis Doesn\u2019t Affect Me\u201d\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#genetic-data-protection-laws\">Genetic Data Protection Laws\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#what-to-do-now\">What To Do Now\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#remember-to-opt-out-of-genealogical-records-sites\">Remember to Opt Out of Genealogical Records Sites<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>On March 23rd, the genetic testing company 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This means that a lot of people\u2019s genetic data is about to enter a legal grey zone.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We recommend that if you are a 23andMe customer, you follow the <a href=\"https:\/\/oag.ca.gov\/news\/press-releases\/attorney-general-bonta-urgently-issues-consumer-alert-23andme-customers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">California AG\u2019s advice<\/a> and delete your 23andMe account.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"322\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/caattorneygeneralconsumerwarning-1024x322.png\" alt=\"California Attorney General consumer alert about 23andMe bankruptcy \" class=\"wp-image-17088\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/caattorneygeneralconsumerwarning-1024x322.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/caattorneygeneralconsumerwarning-300x94.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/caattorneygeneralconsumerwarning-768x241.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/caattorneygeneralconsumerwarning-1536x483.png 1536w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/caattorneygeneralconsumerwarning.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if you are not a customer of 23andMe? You\u2019re probably still affected by the bankruptcy of what was, until recently, one of the world&#8217;s largest biotech companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ve covered the data risks of using genetic testing companies like 23andMe before:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/dna-testing-kits-does-privacy-matter-to-ancestry-dna-and-23andme\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">comparison of different DNA testing companies<\/a>.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Genetic testing privacy policies and <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/genetic-testing-privacy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">how to keep your personal data to yourself if you decide to get a genetic test<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>So, here\u2019s what you need to know if you\u2019re worried about your data (or the data of someone close to you).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"whats-happening-to-the-genetic-data-you-gave-to-23-and-me\">What\u2019s Happening to the Genetic Data You Gave to 23andMe?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019ll probably be sold to a new owner. When you shared your DNA with 23andMe, you effectively gave it to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Learn more: How companies like <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/dna-test-ancestry-dna-23andme-gift\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>23andMe use your data<\/strong><\/a><strong>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Genetic data from over 15 million people worldwide is 23andMe\u2019s core business asset.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just like what happens to any other business asset during bankruptcy, 23andMe\u2019s cache of data is now highly likely to be sold to a new owner\u200b (as per <a href=\"https:\/\/www.23andme.com\/en-int\/legal\/privacy\/full-version\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">23andMe\u2019s privacy policy<\/a>). You don\u2019t get any say in who this is.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"133\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/23andmepersonaldatabankruptcy-1024x133.png\" alt=\"23andMe privacy policy: &quot;If we are involved in a bankruptcy, merger, acquisition, reorganisation, or sale of assets, your Personal Information may be accessed, sold or transferred as part of that transaction.&quot; \" class=\"wp-image-17089\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/23andmepersonaldatabankruptcy-1024x133.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/23andmepersonaldatabankruptcy-300x39.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/23andmepersonaldatabankruptcy-768x100.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/23andmepersonaldatabankruptcy-1536x200.png 1536w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/23andmepersonaldatabankruptcy.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/healthcare-pharmaceuticals\/new-york-attorney-general-urges-23andme-users-delete-their-data-2025-03-25\/#:~:text=,cybersecurity%20expert%20Adrianus%20Warmenhoven%20said\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Experts warn<\/a> that DNA information isn\u2019t just another data point but a \u201cblueprint\u201d of your biological identity, and its sale could have \u201cfar-reaching consequences.\u201d\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/s3.documentcloud.org\/documents\/25868534\/23-faq.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">23andMe said<\/a> that its bankruptcy won\u2019t affect how customer data is stored, managed, or protected.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It also said it would look for a buyer who would share its commitment to customer data privacy. But you have to take their word for it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"349\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/23andmebankruptcyannouncement-1024x349.png\" alt=\"What Did 23andMe announce? - &quot;Through the sale process, 23andMe will look to secure a partner who shares in its commitment to customer data privacy.&quot; \" class=\"wp-image-17090\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/23andmebankruptcyannouncement-1024x349.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/23andmebankruptcyannouncement-300x102.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/23andmebankruptcyannouncement-768x262.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/23andmebankruptcyannouncement-1536x523.png 1536w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/23andmebankruptcyannouncement.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Considering that in 2023, the company disclosed a data breach that impacted 6.9 million customers, that\u2019s not <em>too <\/em>reassuring.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Any buyer of 23andMe would need to initially comply with 23andMe\u2019s current privacy policy, but they could change the terms eventually.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/23andme-bankruptcy-leaves-troves-of-genetic-data-at-risk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">According to Sara Gerke<\/a>, a professor at the University of Illinois College of Law, whoever buys 23andMe\u2019s data could make significant changes to how they protect it.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A buyer could change the policy to allow for the sharing of genetic data with some types of insurers, like long-term care or disability insurance companies. Data is unlikely to be shared directly with health insurers since that would be a violation of the federal nondiscrimination law called the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plus, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/healthcare-pharmaceuticals\/new-york-attorney-general-urges-23andme-users-delete-their-data-2025-03-25\/#:~:text=,cybersecurity%20expert%20Adrianus%20Warmenhoven%20said\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">as some legal experts have pointed out<\/a>, whoever buys 23andMe\u2019s data could take away the option to opt out of sharing. <strong>Hence why you should opt out now (see how below).<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"isnt-my-genetic-data-anonymized\">Isn\u2019t My Genetic Data Anonymized?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, according to 23andMe, customers\u2019 genetic data <a href=\"https:\/\/customercare.23andme.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/202907890-Can-My-DNA-Be-Genotyped-Anonymously\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">is anonymized<\/a> and stored separately from your other data (e.g., name, address, etc.)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, speaking to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2025\/3\/26\/why-are-users-of-23andme-being-urged-to-delete-their-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Al Jazeera<\/a>, Arthur Caplan, the head of the Division of Medical Ethics at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cGiven the fact that DNA analysis is even better now than it was 10 years ago when all this collection started, they might be able to identify people.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eff.org\/deeplinks\/2024\/10\/sale-23andmes-data-would-be-bad-privacy-heres-what-customers-can-do\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Electronic Frontier Foundation<\/a> also said that genetic data can\u2019t be truly de-identified:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cEven if separated from obvious identifiers like name, it is still forever linked to only one person in the world. And at least one study <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genome.gov\/about-genomics\/policy-issues\/Privacy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>has shown that<\/em><\/a><em>, when combined with data from GenBank, a National Institutes of Health genetic sequence database, data from some genealogical databases can result in the possibility of re-identification.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"this-doesnt-affect-me\">\u201cThis Doesn\u2019t Affect Me\u201d&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You don\u2019t even have to be a customer of 23andMe to be impacted. You just have to be related to one.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Professor Carissa Veliz, author of Privacy is Power said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c9q4r9xy9wro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">BBC article<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;If you gave your data to 23andMe, you also gave the genetic data of your parents, your siblings, your children, and even distant kin who did not consent to that.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The same is true in reverse.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if you take your privacy extremely seriously and wouldn\u2019t dream of handing over your most sensitive data to a company like 23andMe, chances are, someone you know (parents, siblings, children, uncles, etc.) has done exactly that.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By sharing their data with 23andMe, they\u2019ve also inadvertently shared some of your data, too.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"996\" height=\"330\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/xpostabout23andme.png\" alt=\"Meredith Whittaker X post about 23andMe bankruptcy and genetic data \" class=\"wp-image-17091\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/xpostabout23andme.png 996w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/xpostabout23andme-300x99.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/xpostabout23andme-768x254.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 996px) 100vw, 996px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Law enforcement can use these databases indirectly to identify suspects. Even if a suspect hasn&#8217;t submitted their own DNA, police might identify them through relatives who have shared their DNA.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, the &#8220;Golden State Killer&#8221; was caught in 2018 when police <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/jvchamary\/2020\/06\/30\/genetic-genealogy-golden-state-killer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">used GEDmatch<\/a> to link DNA from the crime scene to third cousins.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, 23andMe does <strong>not<\/strong> provide law enforcement access to its database.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.23andme.com\/transparency-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">transparency report<\/a>, you can see that though authorities tried to get access to the genetic information of 15 people, the company did not produce this data.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"413\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/23andmetransparencyreport-1024x413.png\" alt=\"23andMe data sharing with the authorities transparency repot \" class=\"wp-image-17092\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/23andmetransparencyreport-1024x413.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/23andmetransparencyreport-300x121.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/23andmetransparencyreport-768x310.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/23andmetransparencyreport-1536x620.png 1536w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/23andmetransparencyreport.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Regardless, non-customers whose DNA is revealed through someone else\u2019s test have very limited recourse. For example, you can\u2019t log in to delete data.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"genetic-data-protection-laws\">Genetic Data Protection Laws&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIsn\u2019t my genetic data protected legally?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The answer is complicated.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the <a href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2025\/03\/what-happens-to-your-genetic-data-if-23andme-collapses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">federal level<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act <strong>applies to 23andMe genetic data<\/strong>, preventing insurers and employers from using genetic data to discriminate against you.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>However, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act &#8211; the law that most people would think of in relation to genetic data &#8211; <strong>is not relevant<\/strong> since it applies to healthcare and not direct-to-consumer companies such as 23andMe.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>However, at the state level, many states do have <a href=\"https:\/\/iapp.org\/news\/a\/the-dna-of-privacy-and-the-privacy-of-dna\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">laws that cover genetic testing and data<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, California&#8217;s Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act prohibits genetic discrimination in employment, housing, mortgage lending, education, and public accommodations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eff.org\/deeplinks\/2024\/10\/sale-23andmes-data-would-be-bad-privacy-heres-what-customers-can-do\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Electronic Frontier Foundation<\/a>, about a dozen US states have consumer data privacy laws that are specific to genetic privacy. Most of these require 23andMe to get consent from consumers before transferring data to someone else in an acquisition scenario.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other states have comprehensive privacy laws that give consumers rights to access and delete their data (though there are no protections in cases of mergers, acquisitions, or bankruptcies).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-to-do-now\">What To Do Now&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You should probably delete your 23andMe account and\/or warn those close to you to do the same.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are a customer of 23andMe, here is exactly what we would advise you to do:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Download your 23andMe data<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you did a 23andMe test, you might as well keep the results by downloading your data.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eff.org\/deeplinks\/2023\/10\/what-do-if-youre-concerned-about-23andme-breach\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">how<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to 23andMe and log into your account.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click your username.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click \u201cSettings.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Scroll to \u201823andMe Data\u2019 and click \u201cView.\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Download the 23andMe data you want to keep.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Delete Your 23andMe data and account<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite what some people are saying, 23andMe is not preventing you from <a href=\"https:\/\/customercare.23andme.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/212170688-Requesting-23andMe-Account-Closure\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">deleting your account<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"177\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/deleting23andmedata-1024x177.png\" alt=\"&quot;Can customers still delete their data?&quot; \" class=\"wp-image-17093\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/deleting23andmedata-1024x177.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/deleting23andmedata-300x52.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/deleting23andmedata-768x133.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/deleting23andmedata-1536x266.png 1536w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/deleting23andmedata.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If the 23andMe site doesn\u2019t work when you attempt to delete your account (previously, there was such a rush to delete 23andMe accounts that the site crashed), you can contact 23andMe customer support at <a href=\"mailto:customercare@23andme.com\">customercare@23andme.com<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Otherwise, to delete your 23andMe account, do the following:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Log into your 23andMe account.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click \u201cSettings.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Scroll down to \u201823andMe Data.\u2019\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click \u201cView.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Scroll to \u2018Delete Data.\u2019<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click \u201cPermanently Delete Data.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Confirm your deletion request via email<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>After you delete your 23andMe account, your personal information won\u2019t be used for future research (something that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2024\/10\/03\/g-s1-25795\/23andme-data-genetic-dna-privacy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">about 80%<\/a> of 23andMe customers gave their consent for), and your genetic samples will be discarded (if you asked the company to store them previously).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A big caveat&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if you delete your 23andMe account, the company may still retain some of your information.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As per <a href=\"https:\/\/www.23andme.com\/en-int\/legal\/privacy\/full-version\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">23andMe\u2019s privacy policy<\/a>:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201c23andMe and\/or our contracted genotyping laboratory will retain your Genetic Information, date of birth, and sex as required for compliance with applicable legal obligations \u2026 even if you chose to delete your account.\u201d&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"remember-to-opt-out-of-genealogical-records-sites\">Remember to Opt Out of Genealogical Records Sites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if you\u2019ve:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Never taken a DNA test<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Deleted your 23andMe account\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Your information may still be available online in genealogy databases.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s not your DNA, but it\u2019s still your personal information, so take this time to delete yourself from these kinds of sites, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re looking for directions, see our step-by-step guides:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How to opt out of <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-from-ancestry\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ancestry<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to opt out of <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-from-family-tree-search\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Family Tree Search<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to opt out of <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-from-rootsweb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rootsweb<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to opt out of <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-from-geni\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Geni<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to opt out of <a href=\"http:\/\/genealogy.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Genealogy.com<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to opt out of <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-from-ancient-faces\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ancient Faces<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to opt out of <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-yourself-from-familytreenow\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FamilyTreeNow<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to opt out of <a href=\"http:\/\/archives.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Archives.com<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Or, you can <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/privacy-protection-plans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">subscribe to our data broker removal service<\/a> to have our privacy experts opt you out of these (and other) sites on your behalf.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here&#8217;s what you need to know about the 23andMe bankruptcy. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":17094,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,24,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17087","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-data-privacy","category-deleteme-news","category-privacy-tips"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17087","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17087"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17087\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17094"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17087"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17087"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17087"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}