RALEIGH – On Tuesday, Attorney General Jeff Jackson advised North Carolinians to delete their accounts and private health information from the DNA testing firm 23andMe as soon as possible. The company filed for bankruptcy over the weekend, raising concerns about the security of users’ private genetic data.
North Carolina has been investigating 23andMe for about a year following a data breach in October 2023. The investigation focuses on whether the company took adequate steps to protect personal information, including health and genetic data.
Attorney General Jeff Jackson issued the following statement:
“Your genetic data is your most personal, confidential data, and you should be able to protect who has access to it. As 23andMe’s bankruptcy proceedings play out, it’s possible that North Carolinians’ private genetic and other health data could be sold to other companies. You have the power to delete your data now – please act quickly.
“My office is watching 23andMe closely to see how they navigate these next steps and what actions the court takes to protect North Carolinians’ data. We’re going to do everything in our power to protect people’s private information.”
How to Delete Your 23andMe Data:
- Log into your 23andMe account.
- Follow instructions here if you want to destroy your test sample or revoke permission for your genetic data to be used for research.
- Under your account profile, click on “Settings.”
- Scroll down to “23andMe data” and click on “View.”
- Select “Delete data.”
- Click “Permanently delete data.”
- Follow instructions to confirm your request.
Once confirmed, 23andMe will immediately and automatically begin the deletion process, and you will lose access to your account.
