23andme Bankrupt

[euro]

Update you might like. Just keep trying. If you get that page again try just reloading the page. It worked fro me. I was logged in but it wasn't showing I was.

The bad news: Downloading was a pain. Taking forever for some things and others would just flip me directly to the "print" mode instead of download. I downloaded some stuff. I already have some other reports on things I saved over the years. Then I just deleted all and closed the account. It's not like I ever really needed this info or looked at it much over the years anyway.

I did everything I could with this situation. All I can do is all I can do.

You were right, I did eventually get in and deleted my data. I didn't bother downloading anything. Back in 2012 when I submitted that sample, I was only interested in one single set of SNPs to determine my ApoE gemotype status so I might adjust my diet accordingly. Was never interested in any heritage stuff or other diseases really. If I ever do get interested, I can spend another 100 bucks and get a MUCH more up to date and accurate map with a new sequencing run.

 

[sengsational]

I downloaded my data several times over the years. I never can find it, but it's on my computer several places. It's also been uploaded to several other sites for specific analysis that 23andMe didn't provide.

 

[robnplunder]

I am not sure that deleting your account means the data is completely erased in their database. I would think the personal info is deleted but not the raw data. The data may be the company's intellectual property. I didn't read the fine prints when I bought their product.

 

[Chuckanut]

I found security expert Steve Gibson's comments on removing oneself from the 23andMe data base in this week's podcast notes. I have not tried any of this myself since I am not a customer of 23andMe.

So I logged in, selected “Settings” under my shadow head and shoulders in the upper right.
Once that page came up (which took awhile, so I may not have been alone), scroll to the verybottom of the page to the “23andMe Data” section. Then click the “View” button. I noted that theView page has a clean looking URL that would also take you directly to the page you need. It’s: https://you.23andme.com/user/edit/records
Or, after logging in, you could use the GRC shortcut link I created to jump directly to the sayonara page: https://grc.sc/byebye

 

[Koolau]

I am not sure that deleting your account means the data is completely erased in their database. I would think the personal info is deleted but not the raw data. The data may be the company's intellectual property. I didn't read the fine prints when I bought their product.

I'm no computer expert but from what I've heard and seen in news reports unrelated to this story, very little is ever actually erased. It might be more difficult to find, but it's out there. What I have seen suggests that it requires physical destruction of some storage devices as well as an "instruction" to delete but YMMV.

 

[sengsational]

Taking the data out of some backup source would be fraudulent activity. That, as opposed to having your active account sold to a future owner with whatever privileges are allowed the new owner.

 

[badatmath]

I was recently listening to a lecture on privacy that was strongly against getting genetic testing . . . even if there is not much use for the data now in most circumstances you are exposing your kids/gandkids data and who knows what will govern its use in the future?

Never occurred to me to think of it that way.

 

[Sunset]

Just think, at any time you touch something. Someone could follow you and swab the thing, getting your DNA.
This is how Police have done it in the past to confirm a suspect is actually the person of interest who left DNA at the crime scene.

 

[Koolau]

I was recently listening to a lecture on privacy that was strongly against getting genetic testing . . . even if there is not much use for the data now in most circumstances you are exposing your kids/gandkids data and who knows what will govern its use in the future?

Never occurred to me to think of it that way.

Yeah, we don't know what we don't know yet when it comes to how DNA might be used (for good or evil).

 

[Bryan Barnfellow]

You guys really think they actually delete all the data and it isn't sitting as a server backup on some shelf?

Just go to Facebook and write "I hereby do not consent..."

 

[Dreamer]

I just went to 23andME and it is telling me that I need to change my password as an added security measure. Did you guys have to do this?

 

[sengsational]

...
you are exposing your kids/gandkids data and who knows what will govern its use in the future?

So I'll let my kids tell me whether to fiddle around attempting to delete mine.

 

[audreyh1]

I put in a request to get my raw data over the weekend, after reading the warning from California’s AG. I was hoping to get my raw data before deleting my account, but after reading they went into bankruptcy last night, I went ahead and deleted my account.

It would have been nice to have the raw data, but who knows if I’d ever look at. I haven’t in the 10+ years ago I was tested.

Can you trust they really delete your account? Data is valuable, especially interrelated data among individuals. They might even think they are deleting it but poorly implemented software means that it is still hanging around somewhere and retrievable.

 

[euro]

Can you trust they really delete your account? Data is valuable, especially interrelated data among individuals. They might even think they are deleting it but poorly implemented software means that it is still hanging around somewhere and retrievable.

Well, when you ask for the data to be deleted, you also ask for your account to be closed/erased, so you will not have a chance to check up on them....I have no particular reason to doubt that they will actually delete it, but I will also not be shocked if it turns out they won't - as our friend from Hawaii says: YMMV....

 

[euro]

I just went to 23andME and it is telling me that I need to change my password as an added security measure. Did you guys have to do this?

yes, I did

 

[Gumby]

Despite my interest in genealogy, I never participated in DNA testing. I'm not going to be the one to help the cops bust my sketchy relatives.

 

[audreyh1]

Despite my interest in genealogy, I never participated in DNA testing. I'm not going to be the one to help the cops bust my sketchy relatives.

Funny! I simply didn’t want a third party to have my DNA info or allow other people to search for DNA links to me. I wasn’t interested in the DNA info myself either and was pretty skeptical about the whole setup.

 

[tulak]

Can you trust they really delete your account? Data is valuable, especially interrelated data among individuals. They might even think they are deleting it but poorly implemented software means that it is still hanging around somewhere and retrievable.

And the alternative?

I’m not sure if my data is deleted. If I find it exists and is used in the future without my consent, maybe I will have some recourse?

Out of my control, so I won’t spend time worrying about it. I did what I could.

 

[tulak]

I like tech too much and was curious when I did this many years ago. I will say that it nailed down where I’m genetically from. My genetic makeup comes from mostly one area in the world and I was surprised at how accurate that part was.

Luckily the other markers were benign, at least the ones they had data for. I guess that’s a positive. If my data somehow persists, I’m probably not high risk.

 

[audreyh1]

And the alternative?

I’m not sure if my data is deleted. If I find it exists and is used in the future without my consent, maybe I will have some recourse?

Out of my control, so I won’t spend time worrying about it. I did what I could.

Sorry, I never joined.

 

[sengsational]

And the alternative?

I’m not sure if my data is deleted. If I find it exists and is used in the future without my consent, maybe I will have some recourse?

Out of my control, so I won’t spend time worrying about it. I did what I could.

You can be part of the class action suit that will be brought against the low bidder company that ends up with 23AndMe's computers. The judge will decide if they really did "accidentally" crash the database, and really found that all backups after 3/15/2025 to be corrupt, so really had to restore from an older backup, before everyone "deleted their data". The BIG question, is what will you do with the $4.28 you "win" in the class action law suit?

 

[robnplunder]

DW and I are one of the first to use 23's service. I was very interested in what my haplogroup is, where it migrated from. Once in a while, I'd log in to my account to see new info. I think I got my money's worth. I am sorry to see 23 to go out of business.

 

[omni550]

23andme helped me locate a second cousin that I never could have found without DNA testing. We've enjoyed getting to know each other and learning about our respective family stories over the past 12 years.

omni

 

[ncbill]

IIRC, insurance companies can't use your genetic data against you for health insurance coverage.

But they can when writing other types, e.g. life insurance or LTCi.

For the latter I sure wouldn't want them to know if have APOE4, especially if I have two copies.

 

[John Galt III]

I was recently listening to a lecture on privacy that was strongly against getting genetic testing . . . even if there is not much use for the data now in most circumstances you are exposing your kids/gandkids data and who knows what will govern its use in the future?

Never occurred to me to think of it that way.

If your DNA info is 'out there' anywhere, law enforcement can probably get it, and then you might become embroiled in a criminal investigation you had nothing to do with, except that your DNA is 'close enough' to the DNA found at the scene, ie, you could be the bad guy, or at least a relative of the bad guy, and brought in for questioning, etc, etc.