Alaskans can request that their DNA and personal genetic information be deleted immediately by bankrupt genetic testing company 23andMe, under the terms of a recent legal settlement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
State Attorney General Treg Taylor announced the option in a\u00a0news release<\/a>\u00a0on the settlement on June 30.<\/p>\n \u201cI know there are a lot of people out there who don\u2019t realize that the samples and data they gave to 23andMe could soon be controlled by a different entity,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cIf you know somebody who took a 23andMe test, I encourage you to make sure they are aware of their right to have this sensitive information deleted.\u201d<\/p>\n The company\u2019s dissolution and sale is the largest bankruptcy case to handle millions of people\u2019s DNA and genetic information as a corporate asset. A federal bankruptcy judge in Missouri approved the sale and\u00a0settlement agreement<\/a>\u00a0on June 27 with\u00a0TTAM Research Institute<\/a>, a nonprofit medical research organization that will take over 23andMe\u2019s assets, including customer data. The organization is led by former co-founder of 23andMe,\u00a0Anne Wojcicki, and acquired the company for\u00a0$305 million<\/a>.\u00a0That transfer process began on July 7.<\/p>\n Alaska joined 30 states and the District of Columbia in objecting to the proposed sale of the company due to privacy concerns and what would happen to consumer data,\u00a0said Ian Engelbeck, an assistant district attorney in the consumer protection unit of the Alaska Department of Law, in a phone interview Wednesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cGenetic data reflects more than just your own genes, right? It reflects your children\u2019s genes, your parents\u2019 genes, your relatives\u2019 genes. It\u2019s unique to you,\u201d Engelbeck said, and there\u2019s no way to recover it if it is exposed. \u201cSo the sensitivity of the information involved was what first attracted the attention of Alaska and of the other states that got involved in this matter.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Engelbeck said Alaska withdrew its objections to the sale in return for additional consumer protections. \u201cWe were able to limit the amount of Alaskan data that would automatically be transferred from 23andMe to TTAM,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we\u2019re happy that we\u2019re able to do that, but folks who are concerned about it should know that they can still request that their data be deleted.\u201d<\/p>\n The company 23andMe began as a startup in 2007, and provided DNA testing services to customers for personalized information on ancestry and health. The service grew in popularity, with millions of customers connecting to long-lost relatives, cultural heritage, and even \u2014 in some cases of adopted children \u2014 finding biological siblings and parents. In addition, 80% of customers opted to have their data used in research, and were also part of the company\u2019s\u00a0scientific partnerships<\/a>\u00a0studying a range of research topics, including genetic bases of diseases from Parkinson\u2019s disease, to diabetes and psychological conditions.\u00a0<\/p>\n The company went public in 2021 valued at $6 billion, but struggled to grow with mostly one-time customers. 23andMe filed for bankruptcy in federal court in March, triggering a complex court case that considered highly sensitive personal information such as DNA for 23andMe\u2019s approximately\u00a015 million customers<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Under the settlement, only Alaskans who opted in to additional research consent agreements, having their de-identified test results shared with third parties or having their DNA samples\u00a0\u201cbiobanked\u201d<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 allowing the company to store and access samples beyond 10 years \u2014 and will have their information transferred to TTAM. Or they can request 23andMe delete their data and destroy their DNA samples\u00a0through their 23andMe account<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Alaskans who did not consent, or opt in, will not have their information transferred.\u00a0<\/p>\n For Alaskans who did not give additional consents, they can request their data be deleted immediately, or their data will be automatically deleted in 12 months.<\/p>\n