Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown is urging residents to consider deleting their 23andMe accounts, which can contain sensitive personal data, including their DNA. The consumer alert came after the genetic testing company announced recently it had filed for bankruptcy.

23andMe, an at-home kit that allows people to test their ancestry with a saliva sample, has been purchased by millions.

But the bankruptcy “has raised concerns about how consumers’ genetic information will be protected,” Brown said.

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The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sunday, which means it’s seeking new ownership. Anne Wojcicki, 23andMe’s co-founder and CEO since 2006, also stepped down. The San Francisco-based company said it will look to sell “substantially all of its assets” through a court-approved reorganization plan.

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23andMe has been in turmoil for some time. Last September, all of its independent directors resigned, and in November, the company announced it would lay off 40% of its workforce. Then in January, the board’s special committee said it was exploring a possible sale.

In the consumer alert, Brown also pointed to a data breach the company experienced in 2023 that “compromised more than seven million people’s genetic information.”

The bankruptcy may result in the transfer or sale of the genetic information held by the company, Brown said, and he suggested that Marylanders might want to delete their accounts.

How to delete your 23andMe account

If you want to delete your 23andMe account, you can follow these steps and guidance from the company.

  • Log in to 23andme.com.
  • Navigate to the account settings.
  • Click on the “23andMe Data” section.
  • Click “View.”
  • If customers want a copy of their data, they can download it as a summary or raw data before deleting their accounts, according to 23andMe.
  • Scroll to the “Delete Data” section.
  • Click “Permanently Delete Data.”
  • Customers will receive an email linked to their account requesting them to confirm the request, according to the company. Follow the link in the email to confirm the deletion of the account, and “you will immediately lose access to your account as the deletion process begins automatically,” according to 23andMe.

Deleting an account cannot be undone or reversed, according to 23andMe. If any customers participated in 23andMe research, their “Genetic Information and Self-Reported Information will no longer be used in any future research projects,” the company says on its website.

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How to delete your 23andMe test sample

If you previously opted to have your saliva sample stored, you can withdraw consent in your account settings.

  • Log into 23andme.com.
  • Navigate to the account settings.
  • Go to “Preferences” and select the option to discard the sample.
  • You can also opt out of letting the company share your data with third-party researchers. On the account settings page, go to “Research and Product Consents” and withdraw consent.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.