23andMe · 23andMe Privacy Statement · View original document ↗

Law Enforcement and Legal Process Disclosure

High severity Rare · 4 of 325 platforms
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Recent governance activity 23andMe recorded 2 documented changes in the last 30 days.
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Document Record

What it is

23andMe may disclose your personal and genetic data to law enforcement, government agencies, or courts in response to valid legal requests such as subpoenas, warrants, or court orders.

This analysis describes what 23andMe's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This provision defines the operational boundary between 23andMe's general data protection practices and mandatory disclosure obligations imposed by legal authority. It establishes that genetic and personal data held by 23andMe remains subject to compulsory legal disclosure mechanisms, regardless of the company's privacy commitments.

Recent Activity

This document changed recently

Medium May 5, 2026

The updated privacy statement no longer explicitly directs users to a separate Medical Record Privacy Notice for telehealth services or explains that medical information collected through telehealth is governed by different privacy rules. Previously, the policy stated that users choosing telehealth services coordinated through 23andMe would find healthcare privacy protections described in a separate notice. That reference is now absent from the main privacy statement. Users seeking privacy information specific to telehealth services will need to determine independently whether a separate notice exists or contact 23andMe directly using the provided contact information.

View change record →
Medium Mar 23, 2026

The updated privacy statement no longer explicitly discloses a separate Medical Record Privacy Notice that previously described how medical information is used, disclosed, and maintained for telehealth services. Users who receive telehealth services coordinated through 23andMe may now lack clear notice of which privacy framework governs their medical records, since the reference to that parallel notice has been removed. The organizational scope change from '23andMe Research Institute' to '23andMe' narrows the explicitly named entities responsible for the policy, though operational impact depends on how these entities actually function.

View change record →

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Users have no guaranteed right to be notified before their genetic data is disclosed to law enforcement, and the policy does not commit to challenging overbroad legal requests. This is particularly significant given that genetic data can implicate biological relatives who are not 23andMe customers.

How other platforms handle this

Meta Medium

We may access, preserve, and share information with regulators, law enforcement, or others if we believe it is reasonably necessary to: detect, prevent, and address fraud and other illegal activity; protect ourselves, you, and others, including as part of investigations; and prevent death or imminen...

Waze Medium

We may disclose your information to third parties if we believe that disclosure is in accordance with, or required by, any applicable law or legal process, including lawful requests by public authorities to meet national security or law enforcement requirements. We may also disclose information if w...

Uber Medium

Uber may share personal data in response to a request for information by competent authorities if Uber reasonably believes disclosure is in accordance with, or required by, any applicable law or legal process, including lawful requests by public authorities to meet national security or law enforceme...

See all platforms with this clause type →

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ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

This provision requires assessment against GDPR Article 23 restrictions on law enforcement access, CCPA exemptions for legal compliance, and HIPAA law enforcement disclosure rules applicable to telehealth data; the absence of a transparency report commitment or user notification policy is a notable gap.

Full compliance analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC oversees consumer protection in data practices including disclosures to third parties and potentially deceptive privacy representations.
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

BIPA
Illinois, USA
CCPA/CPRA
California, USA
Connecticut Data Privacy Act Amendments
US-CT
CAN-SPAM
United States Federal
FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal
GDPR
European Union
HIPAA
United States Federal
Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act
US-IN
Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act
US-KY
Universal Opt-Out Mechanism Expansion 2026
US

Provision details

Document information
Document
23andMe Privacy Statement
Entity
23andMe
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
March 20, 2026
Last verified
March 20, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-000900
Document ID
CA-D-00148
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
844495d7dee785114a99561b45c570c06ec624efeede6528fc52ced0ba522f1b
Analysis generated
March 20, 2026 10:27 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: 23andMe
Document: 23andMe Privacy Statement
Record ID: CA-P-000900
Captured: 2026-03-20 10:27:43 UTC
SHA-256: 844495d7dee78511…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/23andme/23andme-privacy-statement/law-enforcement-and-legal-process-disclosure/
Accessed: May 20, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

Other risks in this policy

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does 23andMe's Law Enforcement and Legal Process Disclosure clause do?

This provision defines the operational boundary between 23andMe's general data protection practices and mandatory disclosure obligations imposed by legal authority. It establishes that genetic and personal data held by 23andMe remains subject to compulsory legal disclosure mechanisms, regardless of the company's privacy commitments.

How does this clause affect you?

Users have no guaranteed right to be notified before their genetic data is disclosed to law enforcement, and the policy does not commit to challenging overbroad legal requests. This is particularly significant given that genetic data can implicate biological relatives who are not 23andMe customers.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 4 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with 23andMe?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by 23andMe.