AG Taylor Announces Settlement in 23andMe Bankruptcy Alerts Alaskans to their Right to Request that their Data be Deleted
By Patty Sullivan | State Department of Law on Comments Off on AG Taylor Announces Settlement in 23andMe Bankruptcy Alerts Alaskans to their Right to Request that their Data be Deleted
DNA structure. Image-Public Domain
(Anchorage, AK) – Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor has announced a settlement with TTAM, the non-profit that will obtain most of 23andMe’s assets, including customer data, following a bankruptcy proceeding in federal court in Missouri.
“I’m pleased that my office’s aggressive approach to protecting Alaskans’ privacy paid off” said Attorney General Taylor. “But I know there are a lot of people out there who don’t realize that the samples and data they gave to 23andMe could soon be controlled by a different entity. If you know somebody who took a 23andMe test, I encourage you to make sure they are aware of their right to have this sensitive information deleted.”
Under this settlement, 23andMe’s Alaskan customers are guaranteed additional protections beyond those provided to citizens of other states. Only Alaskans who affirmatively consented for their information or de-identified test results to be shared with third parties or for their DNA samples to be “biobanked” will have that information or those samples accessed by TTAM. The information of Alaskans who did not opt-in to these consents will not have their information shared with TTAM unless they affirmatively choose to.
Alaskans who biobanked their samples with 23andMe or who consented to information sharing can still request that 23andMe destroy their samples and delete their information through their 23andMe account settings. According to the court’s order, transfer of control may occur as soon as July 7 at 8:59 p.m. Alaska time. However, even after the transfer, TTAM has agreed to perpetually allow former 23andMe customers to request that their information be deleted.
For Alaskans who did not provide any additional consents to 23andMe, they may request that their data be deleted immediately, or their data will automatically be deleted after twelve months.
The settlement is reflected in the Alaska only terms described in the last pages of the court’s order, available here.
Due to the bankruptcy, Alaskans who believe that they have a claim against 23andMe related to the 2023 data breach or otherwise must file a proof of claim to obtain relief. The proof of claim forms can be found here here and can be submitted electronically or by mail. Claims must be received by 4:59 CT on July 14, 2025 to be considered.
