For more than 15 million people, taking a 23andMe test once seemed like a good idea.  For around 80% of customers, their interaction with the company went even further—they opted to have their data used in health research.

Following the firm’s bankruptcy, researchers hope that they will be able to continue accessing the valuable data set even if it is sold to new owners.

Genetic testing service 23andMe has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to keep the company running while reorganizing its debts.

In this day and age of genetic testing, privacy is something that the general public needs to know to safeguard their data. There is a window that is narrowing if you are one of the consumers who paid the company 23andMe to run genetic and medical testing on your DNA.

The bankruptcy underscores the great risks of investing in many of the companies that have gone public via mergers with special-purpose acquisition corporations.

Would you trust a company with your most personal data — your DNA — if it was on the brink of collapse? Millions of 23andMe customers are now facing that unsettling reality as the genetic testing company faces an uncertain future.

Whoever buys 23andMe should be required to keep customer data private, according to the US Federal Trade Commission. The FTC weighed in on 23andMe’s sale today, a week after the DNA testing company filed for bankruptcy.

In a March 31, 2025 letter, the Chair of the FTC, Andrew Ferguson, wrote to the Acting U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee and set out the FTC’s expectations