CD327: 23AndMe and the Sale of Your DNA

Congressional Dish

Jennifer Briney

News, Congress, Government, Politics, Corporations

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 29 November 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Millions of people have trusted 23andMe with their most intimate data—but what happens when a company holding 15 million DNA profiles goes bankrupt? In this episode, you'll hear highlights from bipartisan House and Senate hearings exposing how genetic data can be hacked, shared, retained, and even sold under current U.S. law. Using testimony from lawmakers, legal experts, and 23andMe leaders, this episode uncovers the alarming gaps in federal privacy protections and explains why your genetic information—and even your relatives'—may be far less secure than you think. View the show notes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd327-23andme-and-the-sale-of-your-dna Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: [email protected] Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or [email protected] Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media!

Transcript

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0:00.0	The main privacy protection for those customers is just a promise the company has made in its privacy statement,
0:05.9	not to share personal information voluntarily with insurance companies, employers, or public databases,
0:10.9	or with law enforcement agencies without a valid subpoena, search warrant, or court order.
0:15.4	But if you read more closely, the privacy statement provides much less protection than it appears to.
0:20.8	Few customers read or
0:22.1	understand privacy statements or terms of use. 23 and me reserves the right to alter the terms
0:27.4	customers have relied on. And moreover, the company explicitly reserves the right to transfer
0:31.7	customer personal information in the event of the sale of the company or bankruptcy.
0:36.9	And here's what's supposed to make us feel better about that.
0:41.1	The company has announced as part of the bankruptcy process, it will, quote,
0:44.7	require anyone bidding for 23 and me to agree to comply with our privacy policies
0:48.9	and all applicable privacy laws, unquote.
0:51.9	Well, that's all well and good, but even if that becomes a condition of the
0:55.6	sale, nothing prohibits Regeneron, T-TAM, or another buyer of the data from altering that privacy
1:01.3	policy, just that there's nothing to stop 23 of me from doing so tomorrow. It's also unclear to me
1:06.9	what's going to happen to the saliva samples raising additional privacy concerns.
1:11.6	I am so damn tired of being lied to.
1:18.6	I don't think I can't deny it anymore.
1:34.3	You can't stick to your story if you think it flies.
1:40.5	But I'm not going to buy it anymore.
1:47.5	Hello, my friend, and thank you for listening to the 3227th episode of Congressional Dish. I'm your host, Jennifer Briney. And the holiday season is upon us once again. And have you
1:53.5	ever looked around the faces at your Thanksgiving table and wondered, how am I related to these
	...

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