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23andMe bankruptcy raises fears over 15 million DNA profiles

Original: Consumer DNA databases expose your relatives too, even ones who never sent a sample. 23andMe was breached in 2023, then

23andMe, which suffered a major data breach in 2023, filed for bankruptcy in 2025 and is seeking to sell its database of roughly 15 million customers' genetic data as an asset. Privacy advocates are warning that DNA databases expose not only customers but their relatives who never consented to testing, and are urging users to download and delete their genetic data before any sale.

Why now: The company's bankruptcy puts the fate of millions of people's genetic data in question, renewing privacy concerns.

23andMeIndigenous Privacyconsumers

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• Consumer DNA databases expose your relatives too, even ones who never sent a sample. 23andMe was breached in 2023, then filed for bankruptcy in 2025 and moved to sell its 15M-person DNA trove as an asset. So what: you can delete your genetic data. Download a copy if you want… · indigoprivacy · 3

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