23andMe, a DNA analysis company, has been in turmoil lately. This September, the entire board of directors left due to differences with the CEO, and data was compromised in a 2023 hack.

Anne Wojcicki, the CEO, had previously stated that she was open to third-party acquisition ideas; however, she altered her stance this week. The company is not currently for sale, but nothing looks promising—and it's unclear what will happen to consumer data if the company fails.

Is 23andMe Data Being Sold?

So far, there has been no official indication on whether the company will be sold with or without its data. However, it is realistic to expect the company to be sold and the data to be inherited by the new owner. Something similar occurred when MyHeritage acquired Promethease, another DNA analysis company, in 2020.

Your data may already be shared with other parties. If you signed up for research projects through 23andMe, "de-identified" data about you (including genetic data) was most likely shared with research institutes and pharmaceutical firms. For example, 23andMe has a data licensing deal with GSK (formerly GlaxoSmithKline) to utilize the 23andMe database to "conduct drug target discovery and other research.”

This is not a hypothetical future scenario, but rather the existing state of the firm. These types of licensing agreements account for a significant portion of 23andMe's revenue—or plans to make money. Alternatively, they may have made money previously. They're not making much money these days.

How to Download Your Data and Delete Your Account

If you want to retain any of your data, start by logging into your account and going to your user settings page. There, you can also choose not to participate in studies. On the 23andMe Data card, click View.

To validate your identity, you’ll need to enter your date of birth. In theory, this is where you can download your data, but issues may arise. For instance, I have a 23andMe account, but I must have given the firm a false date of birth years ago. The page simply directs me to call Customer Care. This seems like a significant impediment, but here we are.

According to a Reddit user, Customer Care may request a copy of your ID for verification. This process could be problematic if you used a fake date of birth. Nonetheless, the company’s documentation indicates that if you can get past this step, you can download your data and cancel your subscription. Good luck!