Many 23andMe customers signed up to the genetic testing service in hopes of learning fun or interesting information about their past.
But consumer advocates are now urging those users to request the deletion of their accounts and data from the site, to prevent their genetic information from ending up in unexpected hands. San Francisco-based 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sunday and said it would pursue a sale, after years of struggling to find a sustainable business model. That means the company — and the genetic information of its 15 million customers — will likely soon be up for grabs to the highest bidder.
Read more…
Source: CNN News
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