Under bankruptcy settlement, Alaskans can request 23andMe immediately delete their DNA data
- Corinne Smith
- Jul 9
- 4 min read
Alaskans can request that their DNA and personal genetic information be deleted immediately by bankrupt genetic testing company 23andMe, under the terms of a recent legal settlement.
State Attorney General Treg Taylor announced the option in a news release on the settlement on June 30.
“I know there are a lot of people out there who don’t realize that the samples and data they gave to 23andMe could soon be controlled by a different entity,” Taylor said. “If you know somebody who took a 23andMe test, I encourage you to make sure they are aware of their right to have this sensitive information deleted.”
The company’s dissolution and sale is the largest bankruptcy case to handle millions of people’s DNA and genetic information as a corporate asset. A federal bankruptcy judge in Missouri approved the sale and settlement agreement on June 27 with TTAM Research Institute, a nonprofit medical research organization that will take over 23andMe’s assets, including customer data. The organization is led by former co-founder of 23andMe, Anne Wojcicki, and acquired the company for $305 million. That transfer process began on July 7.
Alaska joined 30 states and the District of Columbia in objecting to the proposed sale of the company due to privacy concerns and what would happen to consumer data, said Ian Engelbeck, an assistant district attorney in the consumer protection unit of the Alaska Department of Law, in a phone interview Wednesday.
“Genetic data reflects more than just your own genes, right? It reflects your children’s genes, your parents’ genes, your relatives’ genes. It’s unique to you,” Engelbeck said, and there’s no way to recover it if it is exposed. “So the sensitivity of the information involved was what first attracted the attention of Alaska and of the other states that got involved in this matter.”
Engelbeck said Alaska withdrew its objections to the sale in return for additional consumer protections. “We were able to limit the amount of Alaskan data that would automatically be transferred from 23andMe to TTAM,” he said. “And we’re happy that we’re able to do that, but folks who are concerned about it should know that they can still request that their data be deleted.”
The company 23andMe began as a startup in 2007, and provided DNA testing services to customers for personalized information on ancestry and health. The service grew in popularity, with millions of customers connecting to long-lost relatives, cultural heritage, and even — in some cases of adopted children — finding biological siblings and parents. In addition, 80% of customers opted to have their data used in research, and were also part of the company’s scientific partnerships studying a range of research topics, including genetic bases of diseases from Parkinson’s disease, to diabetes and psychological conditions.
The company went public in 2021 valued at $6 billion, but struggled to grow with mostly one-time customers. 23andMe filed for bankruptcy in federal court in March, triggering a complex court case that considered highly sensitive personal information such as DNA for 23andMe’s approximately 15 million customers.
Under the settlement, only Alaskans who opted in to additional research consent agreements, having their de-identified test results shared with third parties or having their DNA samples “biobanked” — allowing the company to store and access samples beyond 10 years — and will have their information transferred to TTAM. Or they can request 23andMe delete their data and destroy their DNA samples through their 23andMe account.
Alaskans who did not consent, or opt in, will not have their information transferred.
For Alaskans who did not give additional consents, they can request their data be deleted immediately, or their data will be automatically deleted in 12 months.
In 2023, there was a massive data breach of 23andMe, resulting in an estimated 7 million customers’ data affected. Alaskans that believe they have a claim against 23andMe related to the data breach can file a claim by July 14.
An estimated 1.9 million customers have already deleted their accounts, according to court filings.
For those that remain opted in, their data will be transferred to TTAM. “My understanding is that TTAM intends to operate as a research nonprofit,” Engelbeck said.
“I don’t think we have, you know, perfect transparency into what exactly its plans are yet,” he added.
TTAM has agreed to a series of privacy provisions for customer information they are taking over, according to court filings, including allowing 23andMe customers to request their data, samples or accounts be deleted anytime.
Engelbeck added, as a matter of privacy, that Alaskans can check with their relatives as well, about whether to request deleting information.
“If your grandmother took a 23andMe (test) or your mom, you know, if your relatives took a 23andme test, and this is maybe not top of mind for them, it might be good to check in with them too,” he said. “Because you know this DNA data reflects not just yourself, not just the person who took the test, but also your relatives.”
• Corinne Smith started reporting in Alaska in 2020, serving as a radio reporter for several local stations across the state including in Petersburg, Haines, Homer and Dillingham. She spent two summers covering the Bristol Bay fishing season. Originally from Oakland, California, she got her start as a reporter, then morning show producer, at KPFA Radio in Berkeley. Alaska Beacon is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
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