Today, Attorney General Jeff Jackson urged North Carolinians to delete their accounts and private health information from the DNA testing firm 23andMe. The company filed for bankruptcy over the weekend, creating uncertainty about the security of customers' genetic data.
North Carolina has been investigating 23andMe for nearly a year following a data breach in October 2023. The investigation examines whether the company adequately protected personal information, including health and genetic data.
Attorney General Jeff Jackson stated: "Your genetic data is your most personal, confidential data, and you should be able to protect who has access to it. As 23andMe’s bankruptcy proceedings play out, it’s possible that North Carolinians’ private genetic and other health data could be sold to other companies. You have the power to delete your data now – please act quickly."
He added, "My office is watching 23andMe closely to see how they navigate these next steps and what actions the court takes to protect North Carolinians’ data. We’re going to do everything in our power to protect people’s private information."
The process for deleting 23andMe data involves confirming a request, after which the company will automatically begin deletion, resulting in loss of account access.