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How 23andMe's bankruptcy led to a run on the gene bank

Overview

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How 23andMe's bankruptcy led to a run on the gene bank

Planet Money

2025/04/26
Planet Money

Planet Money

2025/04/26
OverviewShownoteHighlightsTranscriptChaptersPins

Shownote

Reporter Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi's Aunt Vovi signed up for 23andMe back in 2017, hoping to learn more about the genetic makeup of her ancestors. Vovi was one of over 15 million 23andMe customers who sent their saliva off to be analyzed by the company. But la...

Highlights

The podcast delves into the implications of 23andMe's bankruptcy for its customers' genetic data. Through the lens of Aunt Vovi's personal experience, it explores the broader concerns surrounding consumer privacy and the value of genetic information in today's data-driven world.
07:00
An update changed Aunt Vovi's results to 99.8% Afghan.
02:54
Customer genetic data might be sold if 23andMe files for bankruptcy
06:13
23andMe filed for Chapter 11 after failing to monetize genetic data.
12:30
A Consumer Privacy Ombudsman can make a big difference in data-selling bankruptcies.
25:20
GINA protects against employer and health-insurance discrimination based on genetic data.

Chapters

Why Did Aunt Vovi Take a DNA Test?
00:00
How Disappointing Were the Results?
02:54
What Led to 23andMe's Financial Troubles?
06:13
Can Consumers Trust Their Data During Bankruptcy?
09:18
Who Might Buy 23andMe's Genetic Database?
19:23

Transcript

Jeff Guo: This is Planet Money from NPR. Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi: A few weeks ago, I hopped onto a video call with a very special friend of the show. Just introduce yourself. Who are you? Aunt Vovi: Who am I? Oh, come on. No, I see. I'm your auntie. Alexi ...