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Sent DNA to 23andMe? Here’s How to Delete Your Data

You can delete most of your data from 23andMe, though the company may still retain access to some sensitive information.
ByCaLea Johnson|
If you’ve ever sent DNA to 23andMe, you may want to delete your data.
If you’ve ever sent DNA to 23andMe, you may want to delete your data. | JasonDoiy/GettyImages

23andMe gained popularity through its relatively affordable DNA testing kit that only required a saliva sample. However, the company has hit some rough patches over the years, culminating with it announcing bankruptcy on March 23. One of its most alarming scandals involved a data breach in which hackers accessed the personal information of about 6.9 million customers in 2023. In light of the bankruptcy announcement, California Attorney General Rob Bonta highly suggests that former customers delete their data from the service to protect themselves. Luckily, doing so is easy.

Engadget outlined the process in a few simple steps:

  1. Log into your 23andMe account.
  2. From there, you can click the “Settings” tab under your account profile information.
  3. Next, scroll to the “23andMe Data” section and select “View.”
  4. After that, the website will ask if you want to download your data with an option to delete it.
  5. Once you click the “Permanently Delete Data” button, you’ll receive a confirmation email with a link that prompts you to complete the request.

While this should wipe most of your personal information from their database, the company may still have access to some of it for reasons surrounding legal compliance. According to The Verge, 23andMe’s privacy policy states it will retain your genetic data, birthdate, and sex for an unspecified period of time.

Additionally, the organization will keep some account information like your email address. The Verge reached out to 23andMe about which personal details are kept on file and which are deleted after a user terminates their account, but the DNA-testing company didn’t respond.    

Nonetheless, you can still do more to protect your information. The California Attorney General shared more suggestions for customers on the State of California Department of Justice website. For example, you can have 23andMe destroy your DNA sample by going to the "Preferences" option under the account settings page. You can also opt your sample out of research by visiting the “Research and Product Consents” section on the same page.

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