With 23andMe's Future Uncertain, Here's How You Can Delete Your Data and Protect Yourself

Some experts suggest customers delete their accounts, but there are some caveats to doing so

For the last decade, 23andMe has been known worldwide for offering genetic testing, ancestry tracing and health information to its customers.

Now the company's future appears to be uncertain, leaving some customers concerned and considering deleting their accounts altogether. But there are caveats to deleting these accounts, despite the potential danger posed to customers' personal information.

23andMe delivers several services to customers by utilizing their DNA samples, which are submitted to the company for assessment. According to its privacy policy , users can delete their account "at any time" and the company "will automatically opt you out of Research and discard your sample." 

However, the company will "retain limited information" about the customer "as required by law" if an account is deleted.

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Additionally, 23andMe does not support any personal information access requests for customers who have deleted their accounts, and customers cannot cancel or reverse the deletion once it is complete.

A spokesperson for 23andMe told MIT Technology Review the company does not share customer information unless the user gives permission.

PEOPLE has reached out to 23andMe for comment.

But with the company seemingly in turmoil following an October 2023 data security and the full resignation of the company's directors in September 2024, some experts are recommending customers consider deleting their accounts.

"It's not just you. If anyone in your family gave their DNA to 23&Me, for all of your sakes, close your/their account now," Meredith Whittaker , president of the encrypted messaging platform Signal, posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Oct. 4.

Related: What to Know About Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer

Eva Galperin , director of cybersecurity at Electronic Frontier Foundation, delivered a similar warning the day prior. "If you have a 23andme account, today is a good day to login and request the deletion of your data," she wrote alongside a link to an NPR article.

The future of 23andMe is indeed uncertain, with CEO Anne Wojcicki reportedly saying she would consider taking the company private after initially suggesting she was open to a potential takeover. The news left many customers uneasy, according to CBS News .

In a statement previously obtained by CBS MoneyWatch, 23andMe said Wojcicki "also expressed her strong commitment to customer privacy, and pledged to maintain our current privacy policy, including following the intended completion of the acquisition she is pursuing."

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