# California posts public warning the day before 23andme goes bankrupt **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 24, 2025, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-posts-public-warning-the-day-before-23andme-goes-bankrupt/1016009 "2025-03-24T06:25:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2025, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-posts-public-warning-the-day-before-23andme-goes-bankrupt/1016009/81 "2025-03-28T12:21:55Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I think some of the services to evaluate the DNA of pet dogs have been accused of something like that - especially the ones that require a photo of the animal being tested. I’d pull that scam. Come on. > [@Chronos](#): > > People would figure out if they were just going by last names, since plenty of people have different ancestry on their mothers’ and fathers’ sides, and most folks know at least some of their ancestry already. That’s why you need a Facebook profile. Then what you do is thrown in alleged direct descendancy from Cleopatra or Louis XVI and whatnot. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-posts-public-warning-the-day-before-23andme-goes-bankrupt/1016009/82 "2025-05-19T19:24:13Z")
23andMe has been purchased by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. According news reports Regeneron intends to respect 23andMe privacy requirements, and intends to keep on all 23andMe employees. Regeneron does use genetic information for drug discovery, so I expect that is their motivation. Disclaimer: I have had beers that Regeneron paid for. [https://investor.regeneron.com/news-releases/news-release-details/regeneron-enters-asset-purchase-agreement-acquire-23andmer-256](https://investor.regeneron.com/news-releases/news-release-details/regeneron-enters-asset-purchase-agreement-acquire-23andmer-256) ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-posts-public-warning-the-day-before-23andme-goes-bankrupt/1016009/83 "2025-05-20T00:00:27Z")
I’m hopeful that means they’ll actually _do_ something with all that data and make some pioneering genetic treatments. Though it’s too bad it’s not all just going into some public domain database wiped of personal information. And I guess even then, it’d be too easy to cross-reference that with other data and de-anonymize people that way. Oh well. Better a drug company than a data broker, at least. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-posts-public-warning-the-day-before-23andme-goes-bankrupt/1016009/84 "2025-05-20T00:19:30Z")
It’s my understanding that drug researchers do anonymize the data they work with, not only from such a genetic database as this but also from patients enrolled in Stage 2 and 3 trials. Research results that get published in the literature or presented to the FDA for drug approval will describe how the data underpinning the results were gathered and tested for statistical validity as a whole but not get into identifiable weeds. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-posts-public-warning-the-day-before-23andme-goes-bankrupt/1016009/85 "2025-05-20T01:12:33Z")
[Fair warning](https://www.michaelconnelly.com/writing/fair-warning/): > [@](#): > > Undetected by law enforcement, a vicious killer has been hunting women, using genetic data shared by the victims themselves to select and stalk his targets. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-posts-public-warning-the-day-before-23andme-goes-bankrupt/1016009/86 "2025-05-20T03:27:25Z")
Is there any, and what is the law, on police using familial DNA matching (re: season ending Law and order episode, but still a valid question)? I did some reading, and the best I can find is “it depends”. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2025, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-posts-public-warning-the-day-before-23andme-goes-bankrupt/1016009/87 "2025-11-24T21:39:05Z")
Heads up that a class-action suit against 23andme is now accepting claims: [https://23andmedatasettlement.com/](https://23andmedatasettlement.com/) This was for a 2023 cybersecurity incident not related to the bankrupcty. But you may wish to check your email (it went to spam in my Gmail) for a class member ID. Depending on the state you lived in at the time, you may be eligible for $100 in compensation and some privacy monitoring. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-posts-public-warning-the-day-before-23andme-goes-bankrupt/1016009/88 "2026-10-01T00:39:37Z")
The class-action just paid out $275 to me (in Oregon). Not too bad for a mishandled vial of spit 🙂 [![](https://fightingignorance.org/b78b88fe-6c43-4cf9-8a45-a37750b34a5d-image.png) ](https://fightingignorance.org/b78b88fe-6c43-4cf9-8a45-a37750b34a5d-image.png) If you filed a claim, you may wish to check your receiving app or email. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-posts-public-warning-the-day-before-23andme-goes-bankrupt/1016009.md?page=4)