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Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
States sue to block the sale of genetic data collected by DNA testing company 23andMe
Dozens of states have filed a joint lawsuit against the bankrupt DNA-testing company 23andMe to block the company's sale of its customers' genetic data without explicit consent. The suit, filed this week in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Eastern District of Missouri, comes months after 23andMe began a court-supervised sale process of its assets. The South San Francisco-based venture was once valued at $6 billion and has collected DNA samples from more than 15 million customers. The company's bankruptcy has raised questions over privacy standards for genetic data, which experts say is uniquely sensitive, immutable and irreplaceable if stolen. Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia filed the lawsuit, arguing that 23andMe customers have an inherent right to their own genetic information. Read more: 'People should be worried': 23andMe bankruptcy could expose customers' genetic data 'This isn't just data — it's your DNA," said Oregon Atty. Gen. Dan Rayfield in a statement. "It's personal, permanent, and deeply private. People did not submit their personal data to 23andMe thinking their genetic blueprint would later be sold off to the highest bidder." 23andMe announced in May that it would be sold to New York-based drug maker Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, which had agreed to comply with 23andMe's existing privacy policy. However, a competing offer from nonprofit TTAM Research Institute led the bankruptcy judge to reopen the auction last week. TTAM is run by 23andMe co-founder Anne Wojcicki, who has made several failed attempts to take the company private. In a statement, a 23andMe spokesperson said the lawsuit's claims "are without merit" and that the sale of genetic data does not violate privacy regulations. 'Customers will continue to have the same rights and protections in the hands of the winning bidder," the spokesperson said. Read more: Congressmen sound alarm over data privacy following 23andMe bankruptcy 23andMe customers have the right to delete their genetic information from the company's database at any time, as outlined in the Genetic Information Privacy Act and the California Consumer Privacy Act. During a testimony in Washington earlier this week, 23andMe interim Chief Executive Joseph Selsavage said that 1.9 million customers have requested their data be deleted since the company's bankruptcy filing in March. Sara Geoghegan, senior counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, said that 23andMe's privacy policy was subject to change and not adequate to protect customers' data. In an interview in March, she stressed the sensitivity of genetic data. 'I would be very concerned if I had given a swab to 23andMe," she said. "There is little we can do to control what happens to it." Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
States sue to block the sale of genetic data collected by DNA testing company 23andMe
Dozens of states have filed a joint lawsuit against the bankrupt DNA-testing company 23andMe to block the company's sale of its customers' genetic data without explicit consent. The suit, filed this week in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Eastern District of Missouri, comes months after 23andMe began a court-supervised sale process of its assets. The South San Francisco-based venture was once valued at $6 billion and has collected DNA samples from more than 15 million customers. The company's bankruptcy has raised questions over privacy standards for genetic data, which experts say is uniquely sensitive, immutable and irreplaceable if stolen. Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia filed the lawsuit, arguing that 23andMe customers have an inherent right to their own genetic information. 'This isn't just data — it's your DNA,' said Oregon Atty. Gen. Dan Rayfield in a statement. 'It's personal, permanent, and deeply private. People did not submit their personal data to 23andMe thinking their genetic blueprint would later be sold off to the highest bidder.' 23andMe announced in May that it would be sold to New York-based drug maker Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, which had agreed to comply with 23andMe's existing privacy policy. However, a competing offer from nonprofit TTAM Research Institute led the bankruptcy judge to reopen the auction last week. TTAM is run by 23andMe co-founder Anne Wojcicki, who has made several failed attempts to take the company private. In a statement, a 23andMe spokesperson said the lawsuit's claims 'are without merit' and that the sale of genetic data does not violate privacy regulations. 'Customers will continue to have the same rights and protections in the hands of the winning bidder,' the spokesperson said. 23andMe customers have the right to delete their genetic information from the company's database at any time, as outlined in the Genetic Information Privacy Act and the California Consumer Privacy Act. During a testimony in Washington earlier this week, 23andMe interim Chief Executive Joseph Selsavage said that 1.9 million customers have requested their data be deleted since the company's bankruptcy filing in March. Sara Geoghegan, senior counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, said that 23andMe's privacy policy was subject to change and not adequate to protect customers' data. In an interview in March, she stressed the sensitivity of genetic data. 'I would be very concerned if I had given a swab to 23andMe,' she said. 'There is little we can do to control what happens to it.'
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
More than 1,100 jobs cut across Northern California as layoffs mount
A fresh wave of layoffs is sweeping across Northern California, with job cuts spanning the biotech, retail, agriculture and health care sectors — signaling mounting economic pressures in the region. Genentech, the South San Francisco-based biotechnology firm owned by Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche, has announced a new round of layoffs. According to a WARN notice filed with the state, 143 employees will be permanently let go by mid-July. 'As part of our ongoing commitment to innovation and operational efficiency, we continuously review and adapt our business in line with customer and patient needs,' Roche said in a statement. 'Regular reviews of our strategy and operating model ensure we deliver on our commitments.' In Napa County, Tre Posti — a well-known event venue in St. Helena — will permanently close in August, resulting in 130 job losses. The venue, popular for weddings and fine dining experiences under the direction of Chef Nash Cognetti, is considered a cultural and economic fixture in the region's hospitality landscape. Retail is also feeling the pinch. Michaels Stores announced it will permanently close its Tracy distribution center, eliminating 229 jobs. The announcement comes amid a broader downturn in retail, with store closures contributing to a 274% surge in industry-wide layoffs in the first half of 2025, according to a report released Tuesday by Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. Meanwhile, Sacramento's Blue Diamond Growers will begin phasing out operations at its almond processing facility over the next two years, impacting roughly 600 workers. The company cited a decline in almond sales and shrinking orchard acreage as key factors. 'Thank you Blue Diamond for 115 years of partnership,' Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty and City Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum said in a joint statement. 'The Blue Diamond factory is primed for new life and new opportunity for our city.' The plant is located about a mile from the future site of the Sacramento Republic Stadium. Kaiser Permanente also reported a round of layoffs this week, cutting 40 positions across its Bay Area facilities in Oakland, Berkeley, Fremont and Pleasanton, as part of a broader reduction of 55 jobs statewide. Compounding the region's economic uncertainty, retail layoffs nationally have climbed sharply in 2025, driven by widespread store closures. According to the report by Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., the first five months of the year saw over 75,000 retail job cuts — a 274% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Macy's leads the pack, closing 150 locations after a $21.3 billion sales drop. Joann, the crafts retailer, shut down all 800 stores following bankruptcy, while CVS plans to shutter 270 locations amid changing consumer patterns. JCPenney, Walgreens and Forever 21 have also announced significant downsizing. Retail now ranks as the second-hardest-hit sector for job cuts this year, trailing only the federal government, which has shed over 270,000 jobs due to reductions tied to the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency. The tech industry follows closely, with 74,716 layoffs reported so far — a 35% increase from last year. 'Tariffs, funding cuts, consumer spending, and overall economic pessimism are putting intense pressure on companies' workforces,' Andrew Challenger, senior vice president of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, said in a statement. 'Companies are spending less, slowing hiring, and sending layoff notices.'
San Francisco Chronicle
03-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Warren Buffett announces Berkshire Hathaway exit — with See's fudge right beside him
Warren Buffet, one of the world's wealthiest investors, announced Saturday that he would step down from his role as chairperson and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway by the end of the year. Among the businesses that Buffett will be stepping away from is South San Francisco-based See's Candies. At a shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, Buffett announced his plans, with a box of See's Candies fudge placed in front of him. The 94-year-old investor also had two cans of Coca-Cola on the table, another company Berkshire Hathaway is a significant shareholder in. See's Candies was started in Los Angeles in 1921 by Charles See, based on candy recipes from his mother, Mary See. After Charles' death, his son Laurence A. See ran the company until his death, after which Berkshire Hathaway — led by Buffett and Charles Munger — took over the operations in 1972. 'Warren and Charles greatly admired See's and were impressed by the brand's loyal customer base — not to mention the candy!' the See's Candies website said. See's Candies, known for its lollipops, chocolates — including its popular Bordeaux flavor — and other sweets, produces 26 million pounds of candy each year, the company said. See's Candies said Buffett first tasted one of its products in 1971 and described the business as a 'dream company.' Buffett is kept supplied with peanut brittle and chocolate walnut fudge from See's Candies, the company said. Buffett announced Saturday that Greg Abel, the current chairperson and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, should become CEO of Berkshire Hathaway upon Buffett's retirement, adding that Abel was not giving any heads up on the announcement. 'Greg doesn't know anything about this until what he's hearing right now,' Buffett said onstage to laughs in the crowd of shareholders. But Buffett will still have an interest in See's Candies, along with all of the other many investments Berkshire Hathaway holds. He assured the crowd that he had 'no intention' of selling any of his shares, citing his belief in their success under Abel. Buffett said he will eventually give his shares away.
Los Angeles Times
30-03-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
23andMe bankruptcy leaves control of genetic data from millions in limbo
Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It's Sunday. I'm your host, Andrew J. Campa. Here's what you need to know: There were the cases that forced hard truths, such as what happened to Christina Snyder Monahan. The Irvine resident received genetic results from a DNA test that showed she was around 50% Persian, though no one in her family was. Then Monahan's mother acknowledged an 'encounter' with a man who was not her husband, but was Christina's biological father. Such a revelation wouldn't have been possible without 23andMe, the South San Francisco-based genetic testing company that allowed consumers to send in their DNA and receive valuable information. Most of the results were not as dramatic, but confirmed family histories and, in many cases, provided vital medical information. Now Monahan and roughly 15 million other customers are worried about their valuable and private genetic information after 23andMe declared bankruptcy. My colleagues Caroline Petrow-Cohen and Stacy Perman reported on the future of that data. A rising star's downfall The company was a comet — at one point valued at $6 billion — and was popular for its at-home saliva DNA test kits. 23andMe once held 'spit parties,' where high-profile celebrity customers hocked into a tube to provide their DNA sample. The samples helped people discover entirely new family trees and could reveal consequential health information, such as a genetic predisposition to cancer. The genetic data collected by services similar to 23andMe were used to catch the infamous Golden State Killer in 2018. But after an initial surge in business, 23andMe struggled to attract repeat customers and failed to branch out into other venues. Eventually, internal company politics led to a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on March 23. A bankruptcy court authorized the company to sell off its assets, including its database of genetic information. The treasured DNA The company's online terms of service say, 'Your sample is processed in an irreversible manner and cannot be returned to you. Any information derived from your sample remains subject to rights we retain as set forth in these Terms.' 'Genetic information is uniquely sensitive because it reveals immutable characteristics about ourselves,' Sara Geoghegan, senior counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, told The Times recently. 'I would be very concerned if I had given a swab to 23andMe. There is little we can do to control what happens to it.' The state jumped in to warn consumers. California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta issued a consumer alert after the bankruptcy announcement to remind Californians of their right to have their genetic data deleted under the Genetic Information Privacy Act and the California Consumer Privacy Act. Website crashes and promises The 23andMe website crashed recently as customers deleted their data, the Wall Street Journal reported. The company issued a statement clarifying that 'potential buyers must, among other requirements, agree to comply with 23andMe's consumer privacy policy and all applicable laws with respect to the treatment of customer data.' A company spokesperson declined to comment for this article and referred to previous statements. Past problems A company data breach in 2023 affected nearly 7 million customers, and last year, 23andMe paid $30 million to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of failing to protect its customers. The level of risk 23andMe customers face now largely depends on who ends up buying the company, said Christo Wilson, a Northeastern University computer sciences professor who specializes in online privacy and data security. 'People should be worried,' he said. 'There's lots of different actors who would want this data for a lot of different purposes, far beyond what you probably thought you were consenting to when you were just interested in genealogy.' What you can do 'The attorney general of California is suggesting that people delete their accounts and that is making me think twice,' Monahan said. 'There might be danger lurking out there or repercussions.' Customers can delete their account and request their samples be destroyed. They must log in and navigate to the settings page, where they can also withdraw permission for third-party researchers to use their data. For more information on precautions or background, check out the full article. Crime, courts and policing Los Angeles fires, rebuild and aftermath Trump administration policies and reactions More big stories Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here. Column One is The Times' home for narrative and long-form journalism. Here's a great piece from this past week: Tommy Lasorda had a lot of things to say, many of which still stick in our heads after all these decades. He exulted in the fruits of victory. He dubbed Dodger Stadium 'Blue Heaven on Earth.' He warned you might not get into the real heaven if you did not root for the Dodgers. He also had a simple formula for success. 'No matter how good you are, you're going to lose one-third of your games,' Lasorda liked to say. 'No matter how bad you are, you're going to win one-third of your games. It's the other third that makes the difference.' More great reads How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@ Going out Staying in Get wrapped up in tantalizing stories about dating, relationships and marriage. He was a property manager from Philadelphia. She was a British journalist based in L.A. He was intent on remaining single, while she was on a mission to meet the right man and start a family. The fact he drove a pickup truck only added to the romantic allure. They dated and went everywhere in that blue truck, with her favorite trips heading up the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu and Ojai. They wed, married and enjoyed life together, until cancer took him. The truck remained through good and bad times before it too broke down. Could she say goodbye again? Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team Andrew J. Campa, reporterMonte Morin, assistant managing editor Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on
