UNCW researcher shares why you should delete your 23andMe DNA data

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The DNA data of nearly 12 million Americans could be at risk after the DNA sequencing company 23andMe filed for bankruptcy on Sunday.  

The company is now looking to sell. So why is your DNA data so sensitive?  

Dr. Pierre Le Pabic studies developmental genetics at UNCW. Le Pabic said the data collected by companies like 23andMe can be used in three major ways.  

Not only can it tell you more about your ethnicity and family history, it can also be used to link relatives to crimes using DNA evidence found at crime scenes—this has already allowed authorities to solve decades-old cold cases.  

But most concerning—Le Pabic said—is that insurance companies could theoretically use your DNA data to raise your rates if you have a genetic disposition to some illnesses.  

“You could see without much of a stretch that it could be used against you, similar to pre-existing conditions,” Le Pabic noted. 

Le Pabic said the consensus in his field is virtually unanimous—that if you’ve taken part in these services—you should delete your DNA data as soon as possible.  

NC Attorney General Jeff Jackson echoing those calls.  

“Your genetic data is the most personal data that you have. You do not want it falling into the hands of who knows who,” Jackson said. 

Part of the reason DNA data is so vulnerable is because it’s not protected by HIPAA—when sent to sequencing companies like 23andMe—in the same way that other medical records are.  

“The medical industry has to protect the privacy of your health information. This doesn’t apply to DNA sequence,” Le Pabic explained. 

AG Jackson strongly recommends people ask 23andMe to destroy their DNA sample in addition to its data.