BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – 23andMe provides genetic testing services. You send DNA samples hoping to learn fun or interesting information about your past.
The one time multi-billion-dollar company, is now bankrupt. Its owners are looking to sell. Privacy experts recommend you delete your data now.
“This kind of personal data is really, can be used for bad things in the wrong hands,” said LSU Cyber Center Director Golden Richard.
Richard explained when it comes to these services, you lose control of your data by sharing genetic info with them in the first place.
“There are lots of assurances the companies make, but the demise of the company sort of, you know, potentially eliminates at least some of the security that the people may have felt,” said Richard.
Hackers stole the DNA data of nearly seven million customers two years ago, but the biotech company could never bounce back. It’s a concern across the tech world. Richard said your data is backed up in the cloud or there are off site copies of it. That means it’s hard to delete. Bottom line, with our dependence on apps and social media platforms, there’s really no such thing as privacy.
Richard explained, “The big lesson here is that you have to weigh the value you get from all the things that you’re using with technology against the future where you may not want that data to be out there anymore, and you probably can’t stop it from being shared.”
To delete data from 23andMe, customers should log in to their account and navigate to the “Settings” section of their profile. At the bottom of the page, click on “23andMe Data,” and then “View.” Users can then download their genetic data for their own, personal use before scrolling to the “Delete Data” section and clicking “Permanently Delete Data.”
If customers previously opted to have their saliva sample retained by 23andMe, they can also request that it be discarded under their account settings page, under “Preferences.” And users can also withdraw consent to have their genetic information used by third-party researchers under “Research and Product Consents.”
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