DNA data from 15 million people is going on sale after a popular testing site has gone bankrupt.
23andMe was once a popular genetic testing company where consumers would pay to find out information on their genetic heritage.
However, in recent years the firm has faced financial difficulties and last month, it filed for bankruptcy.
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This was filed on the same day that the company’s co-founder and CEO, Anne Wojcicki, resigned.
But that isn’t all as, according to a report by Nature, 23andMe has also filed for legal permission to auction off all of its data.
This has raised alarm bells with consumers over a potential risk to privacy, with privacy advocates advising customers to delete their information before it’s too late.
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However, putting the issue of privacy to one side, scientists say that the sale of this data is a huge opportunity for research.
Speaking to Nature, Anya Prince, who is a bioethicist at the University of Iowa, said: “As far as I know, this is the most amount of genetic data that is potentially changing hands.”
Geneticist Rachel Freathy from the University of Exeter, whose research collaboration with 23andMe was cut short due to the bankruptcy, added: “If a future buyer is not interested in research collaborations, it would be a great shame that the potential this data holds for human health advances would not be realized.”
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One person who will be bidding at the upcoming auction is Wojcicki herself, who made a statement on social media saying that part of the reason for her resignation was ‘so I can be in the best position to pursue the company as an independent bidder’.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, she said: “The 23andMe Special Committee released news today indicating their plan to take the company through the Chapter 11 process. While I am disappointed that we have come to this conclusion and my bid was rejected, I am supportive of the company and I intend to be a bidder. I have resigned as CEO of the company so I can be in the best position to pursue the company as an independent bidder.”
She added: “Since 2006, we have built an incredible consumer brand with one of the world's largest and most diverse genetic communities. Our foundation was the trust and respect of our customers, and they were always the guiding light on how we made decisions.
“If I am fortunate enough to secure the company’s assets through the restructuring process, I remain committed to our long-term vision of being a global leader in genetics and establishing genetics as a fundamental part of healthcare ecosystems worldwide.”