By Russell Browne (Dip. Adv. Nut.) · Specialist in Genetic Nutrition & Methylation Protocols
After 23andMe’s financial troubles and change of ownership, “is my data safe?” became one of the most common questions from anyone who ever spat in the tube. It’s a fair question, and it deserves a calm, accurate answer rather than either panic or dismissal. Here’s where things stand and what’s in your control.
What changed
23andMe went through Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2025, and its assets were acquired by a nonprofit research institute (TTAM) later that year. As of early 2026 the service still operates — you can log in, download your data, and manage your account. But the episode understandably made people think harder about who holds their genetic data and what could happen to it.
(Ownership and policy details in situations like this keep developing — verify the current status from a primary source before relying on specifics.)
What “safe” really means here
Two separate things get bundled into “is my data safe”:
- Security — is it protected from breaches? That’s about the company’s safeguards, which apply regardless of owner.
- Control and use — who can access it, and what can they do with it? This is the part ownership changes can affect, and the part you have levers over.
What’s in your control
You have more say than it might feel like:
- Download your own copy. Once your raw data is on your device, it’s yours and doesn’t depend on the company. This alone resolves the “what if the service disappears” worry.
- Review your privacy settings, including whether you participate in research.
- Consider your right to delete. In many regions, privacy laws give you the ability to request deletion of the data held on the company’s servers. If you go this route, download your copy first so you keep your data.
A balanced bottom line
There’s no need to panic, and no need to be complacent. The sensible steps are simple: get your own copy of your data, set your privacy preferences deliberately, and decide whether you want your information kept on or removed from the company’s servers.
And if health insight was ever part of why you tested, your downloaded file is the part that keeps giving — you can turn it into a variant report that’s yours, independent of any company’s future.
Take control: download your data, then upload it to generate a variant report you keep regardless of what happens next.
About the Author
Russell Browne (Dip. Adv. Nut.)
Specialist in Genetic Nutrition & Methylation Protocols
Russell Browne is a qualified practitioner of Advanced Nutrition, Advanced Herbalism, and Homeopathy, with a specialized clinical focus on genetic nutrition, methylation pathways, and detoxification. With years of dedicated clinical experience helping patients decode complex chronic health issues, Russell is also the author of How to Treat Your MTHFR Gene Mutations the Right Way – The Genetic Advantage and several works on genetic wellness. He is committed to bridging the gap between complex genetic data and practical, root-cause clinical care.
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