More than two dozen states, along with the District of Columbia, are suing biotechnology company 23andMe over plans to auction off personal genetic information without their customers’ knowledge or consent.
The lawsuit, which was filed Monday by twenty-seven states in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Eastern District of Missouri, says that the California-based firm, which filed for bankruptcy in March, cannot sell off customers’ sensitive data without obtaining consent from each of the individuals.
“New Yorkers and many others around the country trusted 23andMe with their private information and they have a right to know what will be done with their information. My office is joining 27 other attorneys general to protect people’s most private information and to make sure 23andMe abides by the law,” New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) said in a news release on Tuesday.
The human genetics firm, founded in 2006, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March in U.S. federal court in Missouri. The company gained popularity for its at-home DNA tests. Customers had to send saliva samples by mail and then they would get genetic reports.
23andMe has collected biological samples and genetic information for more than 15 million consumers.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, another biotechnology company, said last month that it would purchase for $256 million.
When it filed for bankruptcy, 23andMe said the personal information of customers could be accessed, transferred or sold as part of a transaction, but the potential buyers will have to comply with its privacy policies. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said it would follow the outlined policies and the laws on-hand.
Customers can erase their data from the 23andMe site. House lawmakers launched an investigation a month after the biotech company filed for bankruptcy, expressing concerns over the individuals’ data and added that some users were unable to delete their information off the website.
