Gene Jeopardy: Nessel Tells Residents to Ditch 23andMe

LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — You may have mailed off your DNA to learn about your great-great-grandfather—but now Michigan’s attorney general says it might be time to make your genetic data disappear.

Following 23andMe’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on March 23, Attorney General Dana Nessel is urging residents to delete their accounts and request the destruction of any stored genetic data.

“23andMe collects and stores some of the most sensitive personal information, our genetic code,” Nessel said in a statement. “With the company now in bankruptcy, customers should be aware of the potential risks and consider deleting their accounts to protect their data.”

The California-based company, which sells direct-to-consumer genetic reports for health and ancestry, suffered a cyberattack in 2023 that exposed the personal data of nearly seven million users, according to the Michigan Department of Attorney General. 

The company said operations will continue during bankruptcy proceedings, and that security protocols remain unchanged.

Consumers can delete their data by logging into their accounts on the 23andMe website. 

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