The genetic testing company, 23 and Me, has filed for bankruptcy and its potential sale has

raised alarms about what could happen to the DNA data of its millions of users.

23 and Me was once a pioneer in the DNA testing kit industry, allowing customers to send in

samples to get information about their heredity and genetics. Yet the company faced backlash

after hackers leaked the genetic data of millions of users in 2023. More than 15 million people

have provided genetic information to the company. Privacy and cybersecurity experts are now concerned

about what this could all mean.

Jenny Fuzz is watching this closely for Consumer Reports and joins us now.

Thanks for being with us.

So what does the sale of 23 and Me mean for people's privacy?

Well, there are 15 million people who have used 23 and me to create DNA data. People are interested in understanding their family history and their genetics, but the mere creation of this data means that there is

highly sensitive information out there. And because 23 and me is going through bankruptcy

and that data could be changing hands, it means that some of the most sensitive data

that a consumer can create may be at risk.

Are there any rules or protections about what could happen to the data if a sale does take

place?

There are.

So in the United States, many states have passed privacy laws.

And what these privacy laws allow is the ability to delete your

data entirely from a company. And so what that means is if you are a 23 and me customer and

you are worried about this sensitive information being out there and possibly changing hands,

you can initiate a deletion of your data with 23 and Me.

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