Customers of genetic data outfit 23andMe may be at greater risk than they think, suggests a New York Times story That argues that the company’s problems could be short-lived compared to the long-term threats those roughly 15 million people face if 23andMe can’t continue as a going concern.
Certainly, founder and CEO Anne Wojcicki’s hope to turn around 23andMe seems increasingly out of reach. Following a major breach and the mass resignation of its independent directors, the company, once valued at $6 billion, is now valued at $150 million. It’s ready to be removed from list next month. The press reports don’t help. (Would you buy one of their DNA kits?)
The company says it remains committed to “following the laws that regulate the data we collect,” but if at some point it can’t do so, it’s concerning, a Yale biomedicine professor tells the Times. He points out that hacked credit cards can be replaced, while a genome cannot. Meanwhile, he adds, the technology that analyzes genomes advances. Chances are, it will also become more revealing.