What happens to your DNA data at 23andMe

23andMe stores your genetic information on their servers and uses it in three ways: to give you your own ancestry and health results, to let you match with relatives who also tested, and to sell anonymized data to pharmaceutical companies and researchers. You can delete your raw DNA data from their servers at any time, but deletion is not automatic — you have to request it yourself, and the process takes a few weeks.

Once you delete, 23andMe says they destroy the genetic information, but they keep the account record itself. This means your ancestry results and relative matches disappear, but 23andMe retains a record that you tested. If you want the account completely gone, you need to delete the account separately from deleting the DNA data.

The company also sells anonymized genetic data to third parties — meaning they remove your name and contact information but keep the genetic sequence itself. If you delete your data, you opt out of future sales, but data already sold cannot be recalled.

Key Takeaways

  • You can delete your raw DNA data from 23andMe's servers through your account settings, and the company says they destroy it within a few weeks.
  • Deleting your DNA data removes your ancestry results and relative matches, but does not automatically close your account or stop 23andMe from keeping a record that you tested.
  • 23andMe sells anonymized genetic data to pharmaceutical and research companies, and deletion stops future sales but does not recover data already sold.
  • Law enforcement can request your genetic data with a warrant, and deletion protects you from future requests but not from data already in law enforcement databases.
  • If you want no trace of your account remaining, you must delete the DNA data and then separately delete your entire account.

Why people delete their DNA data

The most common reason is privacy concern — some people do not want their genetic information stored on a company server or shared with researchers and pharmaceutical companies, even in anonymized form. Others delete after learning that law enforcement has used 23andMe data to solve crimes, which means your DNA could theoretically be used to identify you or relatives in a criminal investigation.

A second reason is family privacy. If you test, your relatives' genetic information is partially exposed through your results, even if they never took the test themselves. Some people delete to limit what their family members can discover about shared ancestry or genetic health risks.

A third reason is data breach risk. 23andMe has experienced security incidents in the past, and some users prefer not to have their genetic data stored anywhere, even with security measures in place.

What you lose when you delete

Deleting your DNA data means you lose access to your own ancestry breakdown, health predispositions, and any traits 23andMe reported. You also lose the ability to see DNA matches — relatives who also tested and share your genetic markers. If you have already connected with relatives through the platform, those connections disappear.

You cannot recover deleted data. If you delete and later change your mind, you would need to order a new kit and test again, which costs money. 23andMe does not restore deleted data even if you request it within days of deletion.

Deleting your data does not remove you from 23andMe's marketing lists or stop them from emailing you about new features, though you can unsubscribe from marketing emails separately.

How to delete your data safely

Log into your 23andMe account on their website. Go to Settings, then select "DNA Data and Results." You will see an option to "Delete DNA Data." Click it, and 23andMe will ask you to confirm. After confirmation, the deletion request is submitted, and 23andMe says the data is removed from their servers within a few weeks.

If you want your entire account deleted, go to Settings and look for "Account Deletion" or "Delete Account." This removes your profile, ancestry results, and account history. Do this after deleting your DNA data, not before, because deleting the account first may prevent you from accessing the DNA deletion option.

Keep a record of your deletion request. Take a screenshot of the confirmation page or note the date you submitted the request. If you later want to verify that deletion occurred, you can contact 23andMe support with your request date.

What deletion does and does not protect you from

Deletion protects you from future data sales and future law enforcement requests to 23andMe. It also removes your results from the platform so you cannot be identified through the website itself. However, deletion does not protect you from data that 23andMe already sold to research institutions or pharmaceutical companies before you deleted.

If law enforcement obtained your data before deletion, deletion does not remove it from police databases or criminal investigation files. Deletion also does not prevent relatives from testing and exposing your shared genetic information — if your sibling tests after you delete, their results will still contain DNA that matches yours.

Deletion is permanent and one-way. 23andMe cannot restore your data, and you cannot undo the deletion once it completes.

Alternatives to full deletion

If you want to keep your results but limit data sharing, you can opt out of research without deleting. In your account settings, find "Research Participation" and toggle it off. This stops 23andMe from selling your data to third parties while keeping your own results and relative matches active.

You can also adjust your privacy settings to hide your profile from relative matching. This keeps your data on 23andMe's servers but prevents other users from seeing you as a match. Your relatives can still see you if they have already matched with you, but new matches will not find you.

Another option is to delete your account but keep the DNA data. This removes your profile and account history while leaving the genetic information in 23andMe's research database. This is useful if you want to stop using the service but do not object to anonymized research use.

What to know about 23andMe's data practices

23andMe is a private company, not a government agency, so they are not required to follow the same rules as hospitals or doctors. Your genetic data is not protected by HIPAA, the federal law that protects medical privacy. 23andMe's privacy policy is their own contract with you, and they can change it if they notify you in advance.

The company has stated that they will not sell data to insurance companies or employers, but this policy could change if the company is sold or restructured. They have also said they will fight law enforcement requests for data, but they will comply with valid warrants.

23andMe stores data on Amazon Web Services servers, which means your data is subject to Amazon's security practices as well as 23andMe's own. If you are concerned about data storage location or corporate ownership, deletion is the only way to remove your information from these systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can 23andMe still use my data after I delete it?

23andMe says they destroy your raw DNA data when you delete it, so they cannot use it for new research or sales. However, data they already sold to other companies before your deletion cannot be recovered. If your data was included in a research study before deletion, the researchers keep their copy.

Will deleting my data remove me from law enforcement databases?

No. If law enforcement obtained your data before you deleted it, deletion does not remove it from police files or criminal databases. Deletion only stops 23andMe from providing your data to law enforcement in the future. If you are concerned about an existing investigation, speak with a lawyer.

What if a relative tested and I want my data deleted?

You can delete your own data independently of what relatives do. However, if a relative tests after you delete, their results will still contain genetic information that matches yours. Deletion protects your own account but does not prevent relatives from exposing shared DNA.

Does 23andMe delete my data when ready?

No. 23andMe says deletion takes a few weeks to complete. During this time, your data may still be visible in your account or to relatives. After a few weeks, you should no longer see your results or matches, which indicates deletion is complete.

Can I delete just my health results and keep my ancestry?

No. 23andMe's deletion option removes all DNA data at once — you cannot selectively delete health results while keeping ancestry, or vice versa. If you want to keep some results, you would need to keep all of them.