23andWho?
Thoughts on the 23andMe bankruptcy and prudent steps to take
I was not surprised to hear that 23andMe had filed for bankruptcy. They had been heading in that direction for the past two years or so. Some observers point to the 2023 cyberattack as the beginning of their downfall. I think the problem started earlier.
When the company was founded in 2006, its stated purpose was to offer genetic testing and interpretation. They were trailblazers, providing genealogists with the ability to do autosomal DNA testing. FTDNA had been performing YDNA testing since 2000, but they had not moved into autosomal testing. Ancestry DNA did not enter the US market until 2012. But the founders of 23andMe had other plans. They wanted to leverage the DNA samples being sent by the public to use in medical research. That was made clear to potential investors as early as 2007, but it did not become common knowledge until much later.
When the bankruptcy petition was filed, 23andMe reported that Anne Wojcicki was stepping down as CEO but would remain on the board of directors. Today, it was reported that Ms. Wojcicki was also leaving the board to find investors to buy the company and take it private. If she is successful, expect the company to move more heavily toward medical research.
What to do
All this begs the question: What should we do with our data at 23andMe? Advice runs the gamut. Attorneys General in at least three states (New York, California, and Georgia) have advised users to delete their personal data immediately. Others have suggested that we should take no action and let the process play out. I think Roberta Estes has probably laid out the most reasonable plan. It’s the one I plan to follow at this point. She provides detailed instructions in the article I linked above.
Look to see if you have opted-in or -out to allow third-party researchers to access your data. I had opted in but changed my settings to prohibit third-party use.
Determine if your sample is still being stored at 23andMe. She suggests opting out of sample storage. The terms and conditions currently in place at 23andMe could be changed at any time by a new owner. If you don’t want someone else accessing your DNA, it’s time to have the sample destroyed.
Check your status on participation in genetic research. She does not make a recommendation as to staying in or out. Just be aware of what you agreed in the past. Make a change if you are not comfortable with the current situation.
Download your data. She again provides detailed instructions. I’m not going to repeat them here. But this is vital, and you should do the same anywhere you have your DNA stored. It will come to you in a ZIP file. Store all of them in a folder on your computer or with whatever cloud service you use and trust.
Be sure to copy your matches and as many of their matches as possible. Unfortunately, after the data breach, they eliminated the option to download that information, so you’ll have to do it manually. I’ve set up spreadsheets and will be copying my information over the next few days when I have time to devote to it. It’s time-consuming, but those connections are a big part of why we do DNA tests in the first place. Don’t delete your account until you have your data.
Delete your data. I would add, if you’re ready to do so. Roberta said she has not deleted hers, and I’m not deleting mine yet. But I’ll be ready to delete it if the situation changes.
Where does this lead us?
There’s a lesson in this situation for all of us. Companies come and go. It’s up to us as responsible genetic genealogists to protect our own data. Just like backing up our computers and storing the backup files somewhere safe (I hope!), we need to set up a regular process of downloading our matches and any other good data that the companies provide us.
I took a look at my matches this morning. I discovered that I have almost 86,000 matches at Ancestry alone. I’ve tested with four companies. The other three combine for about 23,000 matches. That’s a lot to lose if other companies were to go out of business. This is my major take-away from this situation: Be a smarter consumer of genetic genealogy knowledge.
I tend to view any information coming from a company in bankruptcy with a very skeptical eye. I dealt with too many bankrupt companies before I retired. We don't know who might end up owning 23andMe at the end of the auction. Are there parts of the company that a new owner might decide to spin off? Or, potentially worse, are there parts they might decide to shutter?
I am just recommending that we take prudent steps to protect our data. I'm not saying that anyone should delete their 23andMe account. Mine is still active, as is the one I manage for my mother. I'm taking similar steps with Ancestry, FTDNA, and Living DNA. I think it's a good practice to back up data of all sorts.
Have not been able to log into my account since the bankruptcy announcement!