23andMe’s interim CEO Joseph Selsavage recently told Congress that roughly 1.9 million customers (about 15% of its 15 million users) have asked to delete their genetic data amid the company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy and subsequent sale approval to TTAM Research Institute.
I was one of 23andMe’s early adopters. I wanted to trace my French and Ashkenazi Jewish roots, and in its early days, the service provided fascinating family-history insights. But after nearly two decades of growth — peaking at a $6 billion valuation in 2021 — 23andMe is a shell of its former self. Its pivot to drug research and development failed to gain traction, and a major October 2023 data breach torpedoed any remaining customer trust, driving the company to lose over 99% of its value by 2024.
Also: A drug developer is buying 23andMe – what does that mean for your DNA data?
Now, with millions of genetic profiles, including mine, caught in bankruptcy limbo, there have been worries about who will control this vast trove of sensitive DNA data. California’s attorney general has even urged customers to delete their records, pointing out that, unlike medical information protected under HIPAA, direct-to-consumer genomic data lacks strong federal privacy safeguards. It didn’t help that, for a little while, there was a potential looming sale of 23andMe to pharmaceutical maker Regeneron.
However, on June 30, a US bankruptcy judge approved the $305 million sale of 23andMe’s data assets to TTAM Research Institute — a nonprofit led by 23andMe co-founder Anne Wojcicki. The institute has promised to improve privacy policies and to continue to allow customers to delete their data. A small group of states (California, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah) remain opposed and have until July 7 to seek a stay to appeal the order.
If you’re still uneasy about your genetic information falling into the wrong hands, or being tied indefinitely to pharmaceutical research you didn’t explicitly authorize, you still have the power to delete it. Here’s how.
How to delete your 23andMe data
What you’ll need: A 23andMe account and the ability to access your account either from a PC or a mobile device.
Before deleting anything, let’s download your data for safekeeping. Log in to 23andMe, go to Settings > 23andMe Data > View, and select the reports, raw data, or family-tree files you want to preserve.
Also: You could get $10K from 23andMe’s data breach – how to file a claim today
If you can’t find Settings, just select your username and choose Settings from the dropdown. This opens the central hub where you can manage everything from report preferences to privacy controls.
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In the same 23andMe Data section, click Permanently Delete Data. You’ll receive an email titled “23andMe Delete Account Request.” Click the confirmation link to start the irreversible deletion process.
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Once confirmed, your online access is immediately revoked and the deletion process begins.
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If you opted to store your saliva sample, you’ll want to visit Settings > Preferences and request sample destruction. This instructs 23andMe’s lab to discard any remaining material.
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Finally, under Settings > Research & Product Consents, withdraw permission for your data and sample to be used in future studies. Note that data already used in published research cannot be pulled back.
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23andMe says it will retain a minimal set of information about you — such as your date of birth and a log of your deletion request — to satisfy audit and legal record-keeping obligations.
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Why should I delete my 23andMe data?
Your genome holds deeply personal information like your ancestral roots, health predispositions, and family connections.
When Regeneron Pharmaceuticals beat out other bidders in May with a $256 million offer for 23andMe, there was an uproar over the idea that these immutable genetic records could be transferred to a for-profit buyer without new consent. However, in a late-June decision, a US bankruptcy judge approved the sale of 23andMe’s assets to a nonprofit founded by one of its co-founders — preserving the existing privacy and deletion policies and effectively preventing any controversial handoff of DNA data to a third party.
Still, because your DNA is personal, and with few federal privacy protections available, deleting your 23andMe data is a way to regain control.
Can I reverse a deletion request?
No. Once you confirm “Permanently Delete All Records” via the confirmation email, the process is irreversible, and your account is permanently closed.
What personal information does 23andMe keep?
To comply with legal retention requirements, 23andMe keeps some metadata about your account — including your account email, DOB, sex, a deletion-request record, and communications related to inquiries, complaints, and legal agreements.
When did 23andMe file for bankruptcy?
The company filed for Chapter 11 protection in late March 2025, citing weak kit sales and mounting operational costs.
Who’s purchasing the company’s data assets?
TTAM Research Institute won the auction with a $305 million bid. The TTAM acronym stands for “twenty-three and me.”
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