Since going public in 2021, 23andMe has faced increased scrutiny regarding its data protection practices. This scrutiny is warranted because the company deals with highly sensitive medical data derived from saliva samples, including information about predispositions to diseases like Alzheimer’s, Type 2 diabetes, and even cancer. On its website, 23andMe claims to “exceed” data protection standards within its industry. However, this recent data security incident raises questions about the safeguarding of sensitive genetic information.
