Genetics
UK fines 23andMe for ‘profoundly damaging’ breach exposing genetics data
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined genetic testing provider 23andMe £2.31 million ($3.12 million) over ‘serious security failings’ that led to a ‘profoundly damaging’ data breach in 2023. The data protection watchdog said today that 23andMe failed to protect the sensitive data of UK residents who had their genotype data, health reports, and personal […]
Genetic data site openSNP to close and delete data over privacy concerns
The openSNP project, a platform for sharing genetic and phenotypic data, will shut down on April 30, 2025, and delete all user submissions over privacy concerns and the risk of misuse by authoritarian governments. The decision was announced earlier this week by co-founder Bastian Greshake Tzovaras, who expressed concerns about how personal genomics data is […]
23andMe files for bankruptcy, customers advised to delete DNA data
California-based genetic testing provider 23andMe has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and plans to sell its assets following years of financial struggles. 23andMe has been providing direct-to-consumer DNA testing services since November 2007 to customers who send a saliva sample and receive a report on their ancestry and genetic predispositions. Since then, 23andMe has sold over […]