Deleting Your 23andMe Genetic Data? There’s a Way, But Also a Catch | Global News Avenue

The past few months have been rocky for 23andMe, with the company settling lawsuits related to a data breach and announcing a round of layoffs, and many past customers wondering, can I delete my genetic data the company has? While it may not be easy, there are things you can do.

As we become more aware How much personal information do we collect On the internet, our genetic information is probably the most personal data we can share with anyone, let alone a company. But more than 15 million people do just that Popular genetic testing and ancestry tracking company 23andMe.

These concerns certainly haven’t been assuaged by the company’s recent news. Last month, 23andMe announced it would lay off about 40% of its employees due to Major data breach and Ongoing financial and management struggles The company’s stock price plummeted 70%. With all this hanging like a dark cloud over the company, some people who use 23andMe’s DNA testing services are now seeking bail because they worry about the company’s ability to protect their sensitive genetic information.

About 6.9 million users are affected data breachThe investigation found that the hackers who launched the attack specifically targeted user accounts with Chinese or Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry and distributed them on the dark web. If you’re ready to close your 23andMe account, read on for the sometimes confusing steps you need to take to delete your data from 23andMe.

To learn more, please learn How much 23andMe will pay in class action settlement and read about The complex relationship between DNA testing companies and privacy.

Can you delete your 23andMe account?

Yes. If you use 23andMe for DNA testing, you can delete your account and personal information at any time. A 23andMe spokesperson told CNET that the process of deleting your data begins “immediately and automatically” once you submit your request and may take approximately 30 days to complete. But not all data will be deleted within 30 days.

What data will be deleted after closing my 23andMe account?

The answer to this question is more complicated. A company spokesperson told CNET that your 23andMe data will be deleted after you request that your profile be deleted. If you initially asked 23andMe to store your genetic sample, you can choose to have the company discard your genetic sample as well. Your information will no longer be used for any of the Company’s research projects.

However, there is more to do.

“If customers choose to participate in 23andMe Research, their personal information will no longer be used for any future research projects,” the spokesperson said. “Please note that data cannot be removed from research that has already been conducted.”

Bay Area news site SFGate The study found that genotyping labs that conducted research on 23andMe customer samples also retained the customers’ gender, date of birth and genetic information even after the information was “deleted.”

A 23andMe representative said that by law, the lab is required to retain the information for a certain period of time (two to three years), after which it is deleted. The representative also said that the data is retained only by the genotyping lab, not 23andMe itself. If the laboratory is the subject of any form of breach, the data it retains is anonymous—it does not include names, addresses, emails, phone numbers, or other contact information—and the genetic information contained therein is raw and unidentified. processed.

Before deleting your 23andMe account, download your data

Before closing your account, please consider saving all of your 23andMe information, including your raw genotyping data, your DNA relatives, and your ancestry makeup. Some documents may take up to 30 days to prepare, so please have a plan to deal with this.

If you wish, downloading the raw DNA file allows you to upload your genetic data to other services for family or ethnic searches.

Here’s how to download raw genotyping data and related information:

1. Log in to your 23andMe account.

2. Go to set up Scroll to the bottom in your browser and click view Next to 23andMe data. In the app, scroll to the bottom of Settings and tap Access your data According to 23andMe data.

3. You can select information to download before deleting your account, including an overview of 23andMe reports, raw data on your ancestry, your family tree data, and raw genetic data.

NOTE: These files are available in PDF, TXT, JSON and other formats, you will need the appropriate application to view the data. For your DNA file, 23andMe will send you an email with a link to download the data.

You can also recreate everything in a spreadsheet, as shown hereor take a screenshot of everything. 23andMe says some downloads will be completed immediately, but some may take up to 30 days.

How to delete your 23andMe account and data

The company warns that once you delete data from 23andMe, it’s gone unless you download it first. Ready? Here’s how to delete data:

1. Go to set up Scroll down again to 23andMe Data and click view. You may be asked to verify your date of birth before continuing.

2. If you have downloaded or otherwise captured all the information you want to keep, scroll to the bottom and click Permanently delete data button.

3. 23andMe will send you an email asking you to confirm your request. Once you do this, the company will begin the deletion process and you will lose access to your account. If you let a company store your genetic samples, it will throw them away.

To learn more, please learn How 23andMe stacks up against its main competitor, Ancestry.