23andMe · 23andMe Privacy Statement

Account Deletion and Irreversible Sample Discard

Medium severity
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Why it matters

While account deletion is a meaningful privacy protection, the irreversibility means you permanently lose access to your genetic reports and cannot reclaim your sample once it is destroyed.

Consumer impact

23andMe collects highly sensitive genetic and health data that can reveal predispositions to serious diseases and relate to biological relatives who never consented to testing. The company may share de-identified genetic data with pharmaceutical and research partners if you opt into the Research program, and can disclose personal data to law enforcement in response to valid legal process. You can opt out of research participation, request sample discard, or delete your account entirely through your account settings at https://www.23andme.com/settings/.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Close Your Account
    Log into your 23andMe account, go to Settings, and select the account deletion option. Confirm your choice β€” this will opt you out of Research and permanently discard your sample and cannot be reversed.

Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC oversees whether companies honor consumer deletion rights and whether data deletion practices match published privacy policy representations.
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
23andMe Privacy Statement
Entity
23andMe
Document last updated
March 24, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
March 20, 2026
Last verified
March 20, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-000902
Document ID
CA-D-00148
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
SHA-256
844495d7dee785114a99561b45c570c06ec624efeede6528fc52ced0ba522f1b
Verified
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Change verified
How to Cite
ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: 23andMe | Document: 23andMe Privacy Statement | Record: CA-P-000902
Captured: 2026-03-20 10:27:43 UTC | SHA-256: 844495d7dee78511…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/23andme/23andme-privacy-statement/account-deletion-and-irreversible-sample-discard/
Accessed: April 4, 2026
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

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