Congress Is Investigating 23andMe’s Handling of Personal Data

Republican lawmakers associated with the House Committee on Energy and Commerce are probing the 23andMe bankruptcy out of concern for Americans’ DNA information. The troubled genomics company has been in a downward spiral ever since it suffered an unfortunate data breach in 2023. The company has since endured a maelstrom of conflict and controversy, including layoffs, litigation, and a plummeting financial valuation. In March, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and has been looking for a buyer for its genetic data business ever since. On Friday, Congressmen Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Gary Palmer (R-AL), sent a letter to 23andMe making several inquiries about the company’s handling of Americans’ data. The letter notes that a judge “recently ruled 23andMe has the right to sell the sensitive medical and genetic information of its 15 million customers, which is considered to be the company’s most valuable asset” and states that, with “the lack of a federal comprehensive ... Read full article.