I did mine years ago, and I don't regret it, but I have been getting cold feet about the company recently. For others who want to delete their data, I recommend downloading the raw data first. The...
I did mine years ago, and I don't regret it, but I have been getting cold feet about the company recently. For others who want to delete their data, I recommend downloading the raw data first. The link is: https://you.23andme.com/tools/data/download/. It takes a few days for them to email you the report. If you opted to have them store your sample indefinitely, you can request it be destroyed here: https://you.23andme.com/user/. Go to preferences and edit, and then select the option to permanently destroy your sample. You can download a printable pdf of your health and ancestry summary here: https://you.23andme.com/reports/print/. Finally, this page: https://you.23andme.com/user/edit/records/ has a bunch of reports available to download, and the link to delete your data.
My uncle got a bunch of people in my family to do the test so I figured I might as well do it for myself as my genetic data was already out there. I asked them to delete my data soon after getting...
My uncle got a bunch of people in my family to do the test so I figured I might as well do it for myself as my genetic data was already out there. I asked them to delete my data soon after getting the results. You’ll also want to screenshot/print-to-PDF some of the webpages as the data they send you won’t have the nice breakdowns and visuals.
I never did it because I didn't consider the health checks worth submitting my genes into a private company's database. They uniquely identify me and I can't change them. Who knows what that data...
I never did it because I didn't consider the health checks worth submitting my genes into a private company's database. They uniquely identify me and I can't change them. Who knows what that data will be used for next.
[sad laugh] our family has some reasonable doubt as to the 100%-ness. So, I went through with it. While it was funny for a bit and laid some old family apocrypha to rest, in hind sight it was...
[sad laugh] our family has some reasonable doubt as to the 100%-ness. So, I went through with it. While it was funny for a bit and laid some old family apocrypha to rest, in hind sight it was absolutely not worth it to give up that data to private/public corporations. And now they're going bankrupt and who knows if they've already sold the set to any number of people in a bid to avoid bankruptcy, or outright stolen out of their labs by an insane regime very interested in absolute control over all peoples of East Asian descents.
My only consolation is that once harvesting this data becomes truly profitable, they'll be gleaning it for free from every available public spaces without consent anyway.
I hope that this doesn't end up getting bought for nefarious purposes. Some sieg-heil-throwing oligarch having all that genomic data plus AI models to feed with it would basically be all my worst...
I hope that this doesn't end up getting bought for nefarious purposes. Some sieg-heil-throwing oligarch having all that genomic data plus AI models to feed with it would basically be all my worst nightmares about these private DNA testing companies come true.
If you've used them in the past I'll reiterate the point that you should do whatever you can to have them delete your data while you still can.
I can't delete my data if I wanted to. Family on all sides has used the service and that's more than enough information to glean information about me, but I have no rights to delete "their" data.
I can't delete my data if I wanted to. Family on all sides has used the service and that's more than enough information to glean information about me, but I have no rights to delete "their" data.
I used to work for a company in the genetic testing industry (one that provided services to labs, nothing consumer-facing), so I've been in a position where whenever someone in my family became...
I used to work for a company in the genetic testing industry (one that provided services to labs, nothing consumer-facing), so I've been in a position where whenever someone in my family became interested in 23andMe or similar services, they would usually ask my opinion on it before pulling the trigger. I've always done everything I could to dissuade them, but it's so hard to convince people to take their own privacy seriously. It's very frustrating.
Likely expected in some circles but 23andMe has officially filed for chapter 11 protections and will seek a buyer over the next 45 days. Former CEO Anne Wojcicki has stepped down and appears to be...
Likely expected in some circles but 23andMe has officially filed for chapter 11 protections and will seek a buyer over the next 45 days. Former CEO Anne Wojcicki has stepped down and appears to be interested in bidding on the company. It should be fairly interesting to see who ends up buying and what they develop around it
I imagine anyone buying the company might be more interested in their data than in developing anything with the brand/company. I don't think 23andme has any other value.
I imagine anyone buying the company might be more interested in their data than in developing anything with the brand/company. I don't think 23andme has any other value.
Per the article, they do have a division that is researching medical treatments. I'm not too sure of the specifics but I could see some interest in that segment beyond the obvious genetic dataset...
Per the article, they do have a division that is researching medical treatments. I'm not too sure of the specifics but I could see some interest in that segment beyond the obvious genetic dataset that they hold
I've always distrusted 23andme since they started, and they were headquartered literally down the street from where I lived. At one point, I decided that, because my insurance refused to pay for...
I've always distrusted 23andme since they started, and they were headquartered literally down the street from where I lived. At one point, I decided that, because my insurance refused to pay for genetic testing for me (because of my chronic illnesses and no answers), that I was desperate enough to throw my distrust away. I went with it, and got the premium plan so I could have access to my genetic testing. Now I'm stuck deleting everything. I'm just lucky no one else in my family went through with the genetic testing, and I opted not to link my data to anyone else's from the start.
I solved a lifelong family mystery with the help of 23andMe. It’s changed our lives for the better and I am profoundly grateful that technology came about in my lifetime to make that happen. The...
I solved a lifelong family mystery with the help of 23andMe. It’s changed our lives for the better and I am profoundly grateful that technology came about in my lifetime to make that happen.
The service has also brought about no shortage of controversy but I don’t feel the need to qualify my experience in light of that.
My grandfather was raised by a struggling single father (a sharecropper) after his mother abandoned them and lost contact. Needless to say, my grandfather was very close to his dad, and they...
My grandfather was raised by a struggling single father (a sharecropper) after his mother abandoned them and lost contact. Needless to say, my grandfather was very close to his dad, and they continued working side-by-side in the fields well into my grandfather's adulthood.
In his later years, my grandfather became very interested in the genealogy on his father's side, so he got his DNA tested — and I think you can probably guess where I'm going with this.
Some mysteries are absolutely worth solving, but others are best left alone. Just make sure you know exactly which kind of mystery you have on your hands before you go seeking answers.
Thankfully I live in a country where data protection laws are pretty decent and we have public healthcare. Even then I've been wary about giving over my details to any of these ancestry sites. I...
Thankfully I live in a country where data protection laws are pretty decent and we have public healthcare. Even then I've been wary about giving over my details to any of these ancestry sites. I never know what I may find.
I never did it because I figured that mine would just say 100% East Asian but I suggest most people that did go and delete their data.
I did mine years ago, and I don't regret it, but I have been getting cold feet about the company recently. For others who want to delete their data, I recommend downloading the raw data first. The link is: https://you.23andme.com/tools/data/download/. It takes a few days for them to email you the report. If you opted to have them store your sample indefinitely, you can request it be destroyed here: https://you.23andme.com/user/. Go to preferences and edit, and then select the option to permanently destroy your sample. You can download a printable pdf of your health and ancestry summary here: https://you.23andme.com/reports/print/. Finally, this page: https://you.23andme.com/user/edit/records/ has a bunch of reports available to download, and the link to delete your data.
My uncle got a bunch of people in my family to do the test so I figured I might as well do it for myself as my genetic data was already out there. I asked them to delete my data soon after getting the results. You’ll also want to screenshot/print-to-PDF some of the webpages as the data they send you won’t have the nice breakdowns and visuals.
I never did it because I didn't consider the health checks worth submitting my genes into a private company's database. They uniquely identify me and I can't change them. Who knows what that data will be used for next.
[sad laugh] our family has some reasonable doubt as to the 100%-ness. So, I went through with it. While it was funny for a bit and laid some old family apocrypha to rest, in hind sight it was absolutely not worth it to give up that data to private/public corporations. And now they're going bankrupt and who knows if they've already sold the set to any number of people in a bid to avoid bankruptcy, or outright stolen out of their labs by an insane regime very interested in absolute control over all peoples of East Asian descents.
My only consolation is that once harvesting this data becomes truly profitable, they'll be gleaning it for free from every available public spaces without consent anyway.
Yea I'm a child of immigrants. I know where I'm from
I hope that this doesn't end up getting bought for nefarious purposes. Some sieg-heil-throwing oligarch having all that genomic data plus AI models to feed with it would basically be all my worst nightmares about these private DNA testing companies come true.
If you've used them in the past I'll reiterate the point that you should do whatever you can to have them delete your data while you still can.
I can't delete my data if I wanted to. Family on all sides has used the service and that's more than enough information to glean information about me, but I have no rights to delete "their" data.
I used to work for a company in the genetic testing industry (one that provided services to labs, nothing consumer-facing), so I've been in a position where whenever someone in my family became interested in 23andMe or similar services, they would usually ask my opinion on it before pulling the trigger. I've always done everything I could to dissuade them, but it's so hard to convince people to take their own privacy seriously. It's very frustrating.
Likely expected in some circles but 23andMe has officially filed for chapter 11 protections and will seek a buyer over the next 45 days. Former CEO Anne Wojcicki has stepped down and appears to be interested in bidding on the company. It should be fairly interesting to see who ends up buying and what they develop around it
I imagine anyone buying the company might be more interested in their data than in developing anything with the brand/company. I don't think 23andme has any other value.
Per the article, they do have a division that is researching medical treatments. I'm not too sure of the specifics but I could see some interest in that segment beyond the obvious genetic dataset that they hold
I've always distrusted 23andme since they started, and they were headquartered literally down the street from where I lived. At one point, I decided that, because my insurance refused to pay for genetic testing for me (because of my chronic illnesses and no answers), that I was desperate enough to throw my distrust away. I went with it, and got the premium plan so I could have access to my genetic testing. Now I'm stuck deleting everything. I'm just lucky no one else in my family went through with the genetic testing, and I opted not to link my data to anyone else's from the start.
I solved a lifelong family mystery with the help of 23andMe. It’s changed our lives for the better and I am profoundly grateful that technology came about in my lifetime to make that happen.
The service has also brought about no shortage of controversy but I don’t feel the need to qualify my experience in light of that.
My grandfather was raised by a struggling single father (a sharecropper) after his mother abandoned them and lost contact. Needless to say, my grandfather was very close to his dad, and they continued working side-by-side in the fields well into my grandfather's adulthood.
In his later years, my grandfather became very interested in the genealogy on his father's side, so he got his DNA tested — and I think you can probably guess where I'm going with this.
Some mysteries are absolutely worth solving, but others are best left alone. Just make sure you know exactly which kind of mystery you have on your hands before you go seeking answers.
You absolutely don't need to answer for any bad experiences other people have. I'm happy for your family that this miracle of a tech exists
I thought this happened a few years ago? Or was that another of these (imo pointless) services?
Thankfully I live in a country where data protection laws are pretty decent and we have public healthcare. Even then I've been wary about giving over my details to any of these ancestry sites. I never know what I may find.