23andme sells all your data, in the largest sale of history genomes

DNA data of around 15 million people worldwide are on sale.

As Nature Reports, the Consumer -Genetics Society 23ANDME has filed a bankruptcy – and the legal authorization for the auctions on all this data. For some, it is a huge risk for consumer privacy, but for some scientists, it is a major opportunity for research.

“As far as I know, it is the greatest number of genetic data that potentially change hands,” said bioethist of the Iowa University, Aya Prince Nature.

And while the defenders of privacy have sounded, the alarm rings on the potential of all the genomic data that falls into the wrong hands – and reminded customers to delete their data – others maintain that it could be used for good in place, in particular given its pure scale.

“If a future buyer is not interested in research collaborations, it would be a shame that the potential of this data for advances in human health will not be achieved,” said geneticist at the University of Exeter Rachel Freathy, whose research with 23andme has been interrupted due to bankruptcy, said Nature.

Although we “do not yet have to panic”, as added by the bioethicist of the Baylor College of Medicine, Amy McGuire, 23andme could modify her privacy policy in the future, allowing insurance companies or the law enforcement agencies to access the data. Consequently, experts warn the premiums could increase for those who risk developing genetic diseases, while other customers could present themselves in medical-legal DNA research.

In addition to the threat of the evolution of the conditions of use, 23andme has already proven to be vulnerable to hacking. Personal data of nearly seven million customers were exposed in 2023, the result of a “very stupid” security period.

One of the tenderers of the next auction will be the 23andme co -founder, Anne Wojcicki, who resigned from her CEO position following the announcement that the company had filed for bankruptcy.

Wojcicki, who has made several buy-back offers in the past, has resigned “so that I can be in the best position to continue the company as an independent bid,” she wrote in a statement on March 24.

It remains to be seen if his efforts to take control of the data will prove to be successful. We also do not know what would happen with the data under its independent property.

“Our foundation was the confidence and respect for our customers, and they have always been the clear of the way we have made decisions,” she wrote. “If I have the chance to guarantee the assets of the company thanks to the restructuring process, I remain attached to our long -term vision of being a world leader in genetics and the establishment of genetics as a fundamental element of health care ecosystems in the world.”

Co -founder Linda Avey obtained a particularly different approach, exploding business management in a tweet on March 26.

“Without the continuous development of consumer-oriented products, and without governance, 23andme has lost its way and society has missed a key opportunity to promote the idea of ​​personalized health,” she wrote. “There are a lot of guard stories buried in the history of 23andme.”

According to NatureAn auction could occur from May 14 – a sale with high issues with the DNA of 15 million people in the pay.

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