This Popular Geneology Site Declares Bankruptcy

The popular geneology provider 23andMe filed for bankruptcy, and the Washington Attorney General advises Washingtonians to know their rights.

Attorney General Nick Brown says Washingtonians can delete their 23andMe account and protect personal information.

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The company says it will not make changes to the ways it stores, manages, or protects consumer data. The company intends to find new ownership, but Brown says it's uncertain what the new company will do with the genetic data for more than 15 million people.

Under the state's My Health My Data Act, sensitive health data cannot be collected, shared, or sold without consent or authorization. State law gives consumers the right to withdraw consent, request data deletion, and verify whether their data has been shared or sold. Consumers can also obtain a list of all third parties who received their data.

Washingtonians can delete their information when they log in and go to "Settings" in their profile. From there, scroll to a section labeled "23andMe Data." Click "view," and download your data if you'd like for personal storage.

After that, scroll to the "Delete Data" section, and click "Permanently Delete Data." Confirm the request. You can also request your 23andMe Test Sample is destroyed, or you can revoke your permission for your genetic data to be used for research.