23andMe Case Highlights Privacy Complexities In Ch. 11

On March 23, 23andMe Inc., a well-known genetics and telehealth company, filed for Chapter 11 relief in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

With the genetic and health data of millions of 23andMe's customers now subject to the bankruptcy proceedings, this article provides a brief overview of 23andMe's Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the interplay between a sale of personally identifiable information and applicable law.

23andMe generates ancestry and health reports from genetic material derived from customer-provided saliva samples. Inflationary pressures, decline in demand and increased competition were cited by the company as precipitating its bankruptcy.