Nearly 2 million customers have requested their biological data be deleted from the company database.
The District of Columbia and 27 states have sued to block the purchase of genetic data collected by 23andMe as the company goes through bankruptcy.
23andMe, which was founded in 2006, has sold DNA testing kits to customers interested in discovering their ancestry and long-lost relatives. However, after going public in 2021, the company struggled, eventually laying off 40 percent of its staff and filing for bankruptcy this past March. 23andMe still holds all the biological data collected from the saliva submitted by customers.
Last month, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals announced its bid to purchase 23andMe, along with its biological data, for $265 million. D.C. and the 27 states seek to block the sale of that biological data, arguing that the company must collect express, informed consent from all of 23and Me’s previous customers to legally obtain all that personal data.
The company’s interim president testified in a House Oversight Committee hearing that 1.9 million 23and Me customers have requested their information be deleted from the database since the bankruptcy was announced.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For wisdom for the judge who hears the case regarding biological data privacy.
- For members of the House committee to be discerning as they conduct federal oversight.
Sources: AP News, Business Insider
