How could 23andMe balance the utility of its DNA database with the privacy expectations of its customers and ethical considerations of health regulators?
How could 23andMe balance the utility of its DNA database with the privacy expectations of its customers and ethical considerations of health regulators?
In 2025, 23andMe, a biotech company that specialized in consumer genetic testing, was facing significant questions about its future viability. The company’s original mission was to provide customers with valuable genetic health information such as traits, carrier status, and genetic health risks. Over time, ethical concerns arose about how the company was selling that health data to pharmaceutical companies and who might buy its trove of DNA data in the event of a bankruptcy. With an uncertain future, 23andMe argued that selling its data was critical for medical breakthroughs. Consumers, on the other hand, were worried about transparency, ownership, and what the opt-in really meant. In this case, students learn about privacy in the health field, consumer genetic testing and its uses, and discuss if 23andMe has an obligation to protect its customers’ privacy or sell it for medical research and large financial gains.
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