Embattled genetic testing company 23andMe, once valued at $6 billion, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Missouri federal court on Sunday night.
As genetic testing company 23andMe moves through bankruptcy proceedings, consumers and experts are concerned about whether users’ genetic data will be kept safe during the potential sale.
“You can change your password, you can change your credit card numbers, you can dispute fraud charges. Unfortunately, you cannot change your DNA,” Aaron Rose with Check Point Software Technologies, a company that specializes in cybersecurity, said.
Rose questions if the data gets into the wrong hands, could it potentially be used for targeted advertising or phishing?
Perhaps someone pretends to be a long-lost relative using the personal information gathered by the company, for example.
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If you are a customer, he suggests logging into the 23andMe portal, reviewing the permissions you’ve agreed to, and, if you so choose, going to settings and deleting your account and data.
23andMe said its bankruptcy filing won't change how it stores or protects data.
