23 Adam, fight to delete their data

Computer systems for 23andme were struggling to deal with the huge size of customers who are racing to delete their data, after the DNA test company announced it was. Provide bankruptcy protection.

The company says it is now solving the problems of information technology resulting from increasing traffic on its website at the beginning of the week.

But users have reported continuous difficulties during their stampede to protect their genetic information, their health history and the details of the assets.

A number of those who have also successfully told their BBC data about their ongoing concerns about the future of 23andme.

The company submitted a request to protect bankruptcy, Chapter 11 on Sunday, in order to sell itself through a process subject to the supervision of the court.

“If 23andme is sold, my data can be sold, which I hear,” said Daniel Landrichina, 52, from Maryland. Landriscina participated in 23andme in 2018 to communicate with her family’s father.

“What prevents something like a health insurance company from purchasing my data and then using it to determine whether I am getting health insurance or to what extent I should pay for it?” Added Ms. Landrikina, who works in technology sales.

Currently, 23andme “will not voluntarily share your personal information” with insurance companies, the company The current privacy statement He says.

But the future is less confident. 23 The proposal was regretted on May 14 of its assets It can include Genetic data for millions of customers.

To protect herself, Ms. Landriscina said that she tried several times to log in to her 23ndme account starting from Tuesday morning, whether on her phone or through a web browser.

Among the many customers who requested the completion of the login process via e -mail using bilateral authentication to verify her identity.

She said that she did not receive the verification code until the evening, and only saw him after a ten -minute window to use the code.

Earlier in the day, the company’s online chat service was advised to try again later due to an increase in traffic to the site. Until Tuesday night, she was not able to remove her account from the company’s database.

“If anyone has any problems regarding accessing his account or deleting his data, they can go to Customer service site For support, 23andme spokesman said in response to the BBC investigation.

The company did not respond to subsequent emails that separate the customer complaints that the BBC learned.

Pauline Long from Alabama also said she made multiple attempts to reach her account starting on Tuesday morning.

“This was a nightmare and I will now be more careful about doing anything online,” Ms. Long told the BBC in an email.

She said she had waited for two hours to chat with customer service agent. She finally managed to delete her account by Tuesday evening, but she expressed doubts about whether the company had already deleted its information.

“I am concerned that 23andme will stick to the data,” said Mrs. Long.

According to 23andme, deleting the account and associated data will permanently delete the data related to all personal files within the account.

Public lawyers from several American states – including California, Arizona, South Carolina, and New York – 23andme agents are advised to purify their information from the company database given the sensitivity of the materials that she collected during its years of work.

“Everyone will have a different appetite for risks and will estimate his own information differently,” California Prosecutor Rob Punta told the BBC on Monday.

“It is up to them what they are doing, but I wanted to advise them of their right to delete.”

Friday, Mr. Punta Release Consumer alert provides users with a step -by -step guide about what to do as brands on the installed financial 23ndme.

“It is a moment like this exactly when reminding your rights and protection is appropriate, so you can determine if you want to exercise these rights,” said Mr. Punta.

According to 23andmeAny buyer of the company will have to adhere to the laws that apply to how the customer’s data is treated, and any transaction will be subject to the usual regulatory approvals.

Customers who have been requested by 23andme can store DNA sample to request their destruction.

The company said that for users who chose the 23andme research program, personal information will not be used in future research projects.

23andme said it will continue to protect the customer’s data as shown in it privacy policy.

But she admitted that “if she is involved in bankruptcy, the process of merging, acquiring, reorganizing or selling your assets, your personal information can be reached, sold or transferred as part of that treatment.”

She says that his privacy statement will be applied to personal information when transferring to the new entity.

“A new company must continue to manage customer data under Privacy Policy,” said Anya Prince, a professor at the Law Faculty at Iowa University.

However, Prince notes that the company also says it may “make changes” to the privacy statement “from time to time”, leaving the door open to a new company to change how to manage customer data.

The 62 -year -old genealogy, Michelle Lewis, from Georgia, said that she had found a more clear deletion of her data than another attempt a few months ago when she was waiting for a waiting period.

“It was much easier and almost deleted,” Louis Lewis told an email on Tuesday. “I have never worried about privacy, piracy, or anything, but this is not the first time that 23andme has had problems.”

In 2023, millions of 23ndem customer accounts were hacked in a huge data breach. The company reached a settlement of 30 million dollars caused by the breach in September.

Mrs. Lewis, who used the 23ndme test group in 2008, said it was not difficult to separate with the company.

“I rarely reach 23andme anyway anyway,” she said.

Some clients said that the experience provides a lesson.

“If you have to do this again, I will not do it,” said Landrichina. “The benefit does not exceed what I think now is the damage of my DNA after selling it. It’s worrying.”