RICHMOND (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – State Attorney General Jason Miyares has issued a consumer alert regarding 23andMe’s bankruptcy filing and the rights Virginians have concerning their genetic data. 23andMe, a direct-to-consumer genetic testing company that collects and analyzes consumers’ genetic information, announced its bankruptcy filing in a press release this past Sunday. According to the release, there are no planned changes to how the company stores, manages, or protects customer data.

However, Miyares says Virginians who have sent their genetic data to 23andMe have the right under Virginia law to demand its deletion and destruction, and he will vigously enforce Virginia’s data privacy law. These companies are required to honor a consumer’s request to delete the consumer’s genetic data and to destroy the consumer’s biological sample within 30 days of receiving such a request.
Click here for all the AG’s information.