Three members of Congress members of the Parliamentary and Trade Committee raises concerns about the privacy of data after weeks from the genetic test company provided by 23andme bankruptcy, which puts millions of personal information for sale.
Republican actors – Brett Gutry from Kentucky, Jos Bilrakes from Florida and Gary Palmer from Alaska – sent a message to 23ndme CEO Joe Selsavage on Thursday to request answers Several questions By May 1.
Questions revolve around the fate of the genetic database of 23andme, which includes DNA information from more than 15 million people. Members of Congress asked the company about how to protect the data at a sale event and how it could check potential buyers.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
23andme announced Chapter 11 of bankruptcy in March and received permission from the American Banking Court for the Eastern Region in Missouri to sell all its assets significantly. The company was established in 2006 and Once $ 6 billionFamous DNA testing groups at home and stimulating hunting assets and amateur criminal investigations.
But the project failed to create a sustainable business model, and while he is struggling to stay standing on its feet, experts, clients and government officials are concerned that genetic information can be included in Wrong hands.
“Given the lack of HIPAA protection, the patching of state laws that cover genetic privacy, and the uncertainty surrounding what is happening to the customer’s information in the event of selling company or customer data and transferring information, we are concerned that this information from sensitive information is at risk of exposure,” said the energy and trade letter.
Although any buyer of 23andme must agree to comply with the company’s privacy policy, this policy can change unilaterally at any time, according to Geoghegan, the chief adviser at the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
“I will be very worried if I give a tinge to 23andme,” said Geogigan. “There is a little that we can do to control what is happening to him.”
Atty bankruptcy file. General Rob Punta to issue a Consumer alert Urging customers to delete the data they provided to the company.
“Given the amount of financial up to the reported 23, I remember the residents of California of thinking about invoking their rights and destroying any samples of the genetic materials that the company maintains,” Punta wrote.
23andme was shattered after the warning, as customers rushed to log in, The Wall Street Journal I mentioned. On Thursday, a speech sparked the problem, noting that “customers are facing problems in reaching and deleting their data.”
Gutry and Bilirakis and Balmar are the latest government officials who express concern about the situation. The House of Representatives for Government Control and Reform also sent the Federal Trade Committee messages to 23andme, which recently inquired about data protection.
23andme released Open message Customers in late March, their guarantee that their data will remain protected in the event of sale.