BOISE – Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador issued a consumer protection alert following 23andMe’s filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 23, 2025. The genetic testing company, known for providing health and ancestry information, plans to sell its corporate assets, which may include stored genetic data from customers.

“There is nothing more personal than an individual’s genetic information,” said Labrador. “Allowing that to be sold off to the highest bidder raises serious consumer protection concerns for privacy. I want to make sure that 23andMe customers in Idaho have every opportunity to protect their genetic data.”

Consumers who submitted genetic data to 23andMe may have consented to its storage for research purposes. However, they can withdraw consent by logging into their account, navigating to Settings, and selecting “Permanently delete data.” An email from 23andMe will follow, detailing the account deletion policy and requesting confirmation to proceed with data deletion.

Additionally, consumers can use the Consumer Reports App, Permission Slip by CR, to request the deletion of personal data from direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies, including 23andMe. Those who have submitted genetic samples to other companies should verify if their data is stored and request its destruction if necessary.