Vermont's attorney general is encouraging customers of the genetic analysis company 23andMe to take steps to protect their data.
23andMe is in the process of looking for a buyer after filing for bankruptcy, raising questions about the safety of that data.
Thousands of Vermonters have submitted DNA samples to the service to learn more about their medical history and family lineage.
And Attorney General Charity Clark is concerned about what will happen to those genetic samples.
"My concern is that I believe in privacy," Clark said. "If someone doesn't want their private biometric data shared with a random third party, another company or whoever, they should be able to say, 'No thanks' and keep that private."
The 23andMe website has instructions to permanently delete your DNA information.
"I really believe that our data belongs to us and we should control our data, so I am concerned that in a bankruptcy proceeding that data could be considered an asset and be sold to who knows who," Clark said.
Deleting your 23andMe data
If you want to permanently delete your data from 23andMe, there's an option in your account to do so. Here's how you can find it:
- Log in to your 23andMe account.
- Go to profile settings.
- Find the "23andMe Data" section and click view.
- If you want a copy of your data before removing it, choose to download it to your device now. Otherwise you won't be able to access it again.
- Find the "Delete Data" section.
- Click "Permanently Delete Data."
- Confirm your request.
