March 2025

23andMe Bankruptcy

What happens to all that DNA data?

It's not just the data...often the samples themselves have been stored and could be sold off to some random buyer. This again reinforces the idea that these DNA testing kits are a BAD idea. Here's a quick short I published today:

​this 23andMe bankruptcy is BAD NEWS →​

Go Deeper: if you or somebody you love has used 23andMe in the past, there are some steps you're going to want to take to request the deletion of your data. Below are a couple quick tutorials to get you started.

Protect your DNA This simple guide tells you how to log into your account and request data deletion: ​Read the Yahoo Guide →​

Close your Account Once you've deleted your data, here's how to close your 23andMe account: ​Closure Instructions →​

"Permanent" Data Privacy

Hi [CORRECTED_NAME GOES HERE], when it comes to personal data, there are some things that are simple to change: your phone number, your email address, credit card numbers, etc. I'm not saying it's fun to change, but it's relatively easy.

There is other data, however, that I call "permanent data" that's much harder.

This is stuff like your DNA, your ID number and even your home address.

Can you change your ID number? Sure. Can you move houses? Yes, but it's quite the ordeal.

That's why I put a little extra effort into protecting this permanent data. I don't want to lose control over these things that are hard to change or replace.

This week, I spent some time detailing how I protect my home address using a virtual mailbox service. Yes, you can get a P.O. box, but there are big differences between a P.O. box and a virtual address.

So what is a virtual address and what are the privacy features that are most important? Check out the video:

STOP writing out your Home Address

This Week in Privacy News

​France Rejects Encryption Backdoor​

In a rare win for privacy, the French National Assembly rejected a proposal similar to that of the UK that would have forced a backdoor in the encryption of messaging apps.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/03/win-encryption-france-rejects-backdoor-mandate

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​Sen Rand Paul on UK Privacy Concerns​

Senator Paul in the US has been asking if any other US companies have received requests from the UK government for encrypted data. It seems like the UK continues to overextend it's reach on citizen's data.

https://reason.com/2025/03/20/rand-paul-seeks-information-on-u-k-requests-for-americans-private-data/
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​Sperm Bank Data Breach!​

Apparently you need to be worried about your DNA even if you've never used 23andMe. Cryobank in California just announced it experienced a breach of its systems. Yikes.

https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2025/03/sperm-bank-breach-deposits-data-into-hands-of-cybercriminals

Should DNA be Private?

As I said above, DNA is one of those pieces of personal data that we simply cannot change. How long do you think it will be possible to maintain privacy in this area?

Shoot me a reply with your thoughts. I'm curious to hear.

✌️

Josh

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3824 Cedar Springs Rd #801-8170, Dallas, TX 75219
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