This legal distinction means that, unless explicitly prohibited in 23andMe’s terms of service, the company can:
- Use customer genetic data for research
- Sell or share data with third parties
Genetic privacy expert James Hazel told Consumer Reports “That means that as long as their terms of service don’t specifically prohibit it, these companies can conduct research on your genetic data, sell it, or share it with third parties.”
How to Delete Your 23andMe Data
California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a consumer alert on Friday, urging 23andMe users to take control of their genetic data.
Bonta advised users to delete genetic data from their 23andMe accounts. Then request the company destroy their test sample. And revoke permission for data use in research.
“I remind Californians to consider invoking their rights and directing 23andMe to delete their data and destroy any samples of genetic material held by the company,” he added.
The 23andMe website provides instructions for users who wish to remove their data, recommending that customers download their personal information before submitting a deletion request.
