23andMe · 23andMe Terms of Service

Intellectual Property License Grant

Medium severity
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What it is

23andMe claims rights over content you submit to the platform, including any material you provide through the services, and these rights persist even if you stop using the service.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Users who submit content such as survey responses, health information, or other user-generated material to 23andMe grant the company rights to use that content, which may include research or commercial applications beyond what users expected at the time of submission.

Cross-platform context

See how other platforms handle Intellectual Property License Grant and similar clauses.

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Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

A broad license grant means that content users submit — potentially including health notes, survey responses, and profile information — can be used by 23andMe for commercial or research purposes without additional compensation.

View original clause language
If you choose to use or purchase additional Services for a business or commercial purpose, or any purpose other than personal use, they may have their own terms and conditions. The specific terms and conditions associated with the use or purchase of additional Services are made a part of these Terms by this reference.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision implicates CCPA/CPRA (Cal. Civ. Code §1798.100) regarding secondary use of personal information beyond the disclosed purpose; FTC Act Section 5 applies to deceptive practices if the license scope exceeds reasonable consumer expectations; GINA (29 U.S.C. §2101) is relevant if licensed content includes genetic information used for commercial purposes. Copyright law (17 U.S.C. §101 et seq.) governs the enforceability of the license grant itself.

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Compliance intelligence locked

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

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    FTC has authority to investigate whether IP license grants that enable secondary commercial use of health and genetic data constitute unfair or deceptive practices under FTC Act Section 5.
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
23andMe Terms of Service
Entity
23andMe
Document last updated
April 29, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
April 27, 2026
Last verified
April 27, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-003456
Document ID
CA-D-00147
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
SHA-256
16a44b36aa17e55ddf47ae29310c84ef467de0a10b43cf99d04895259b10a9f1
Verified
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Change verified
How to Cite
ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: 23andMe | Document: 23andMe Terms of Service | Record: CA-P-003456
Captured: 2026-04-27 13:25:11 UTC | SHA-256: 16a44b36aa17e55d…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/23andme/23andme-terms-of-service/intellectual-property-license-grant/
Accessed: May 2, 2026
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

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