IS YOUR DNA FOR SALE?
HIDDEN COSTS OF 23andMe

23andMe is a company that lets people learn about their ancestry and health by sending in a small tube of spit. Harmless, right? But behind the scenes, DNA is valuable data, and 23andMe has been selling it for a whole lot more than ancestry reports. In 2018, the company struck a $300 million deal with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a pharmaceutical company based in the United Kingdom; granting GSK access to the genetic data of millions of users to develop new drugs. If there is a pattern found in one’s genes associated with the disease of study, it can help in treatment development and possibly accumulate billions of dollars. 

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This collaboration has already led to developments of several drug treatments such as immuno-oncology antibody targeting CD96; focusing on the antibody designed to combat cancer. As well as drawing their attention to the LRRK2 inhibitor for Parkinson’s Disease, hoping to slow the disease’s progression. The problem is, most 23andMe consumers were unaware that agreeing to data meant their DNA could be commercialized. People like 27-year-old Chenedy Wiles, an African American woman who took a test, now questions how their data is being used, especially given the company’s lack of transparency. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, issued an urgent alert to 23andMe customers, advising them to take steps to delete their data and destroy genetic samples. There are alarming rates of concerns around privacy, consent, and fairness. It’s a new kind of experimentation, not in a lab, but through your genetics.

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References: 

California Department of Justice. "Attorney General Bonta Urgently Issues Consumer Alert for 23andMe Customers." State of California - Department of Justice, 21 Mar. 2025, https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-urgently-issues-consumer-alert-23andme-customers.

 

23andMe Holding Co. "23andMe Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2024 Results." 23andMe Investor Relations, 10 May 2024, https://investors.23andme.com/node/7466/pdf.

 

Allyn, Bobby. "23andMe Is on the Brink. What Happens to All Its DNA Data?" NPR, 3 Oct. 2024, https://www.npr.org/2024/10/03/g-s1-25795/23andme-data-genetic-dna-privacy.​NPR

 

Murphy, Heather. “You Got a DNA Test. Why You Should Care About a $300 Million Deal.” The New York Times, 30 July 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/30/science/23andme-glaxo-genetics-privacy.html.

Belluz, Julia. “23andMe’s $300 Million Deal with GSK Raises Some Big Questions.” Vox, 30 July 2018, https://www.vox.com/2018/7/30/17632220/23andme-glaxo-smith-kline-deal.