How safe is your DNA in a bankruptcy?

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Published 3/27/2025 on economist.com

Mar 27th 2025

Spit in a tube and, for about $100, discover secrets held by your DNA. That was the promise of 23andMe, a direct-to-consumer genetic-testing company. It proved popular—more than 15m customers coughed up to receive tailored reports. Insights ranged from the banal (there is a 48% chance you have freckles) to the potentially helpful (you have an increased risk of type-2 diabetes). Ultimately, though, the venture was unprofitable. On March 23rd the firm filed for bankruptcy.

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This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Spit take”

From the March 29th 2025 edition

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