A coalition of 27 states and the District of Columbia has taken legal action to prevent 23andMe from selling personal genetic data in its possession without customer consent.
The California-based biotechnology company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 23 to facilitate the sale of its assets, sparking concerns over the handling of the sensitive genetic data it holds.
In a June 9 statement, the states said that customers should have the right to control the personal information they provided to the company and that 23andMe cannot sell the data like “ordinary property.”
“This isn’t just data – it’s your DNA. It’s personal, permanent, and deeply private,” Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said in the statement. “People did not submit their personal data to 23andMe thinking their genetic blueprint would later be sold off to the highest bidder.”…