Oregon in Multi-State Legal Fight to Protect Genetic Information in 23andMe Bankruptcy Case

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield has announced that his office alongside a bipartisan coalition of 28 states filed a lawsuit on behalf of consumers, objecting to the proposed sale of personal genetic information collected by 23andMe. The complaint and a separate objection to the bankruptcy sale, each filed in federal bankruptcy court on June 9, 2025, aim to stop 23andMe from auctioning off the private genetic data of roughly 15 million customers to the highest bidder without customers’ knowledge or consent.

“This isn’t just data - it’s your DNA. It’s personal, permanent, and deeply private,” said Attorney General Dan Rayfield.

“People did not submit their personal data to 23andMe thinking their genetic blueprint would later be sold off to the highest bidder. We’re standing up in court to make sure Oregonians - and millions of others - keep the right to control their own genetic information.”

23andMe, a popular direct-to-consumer DNA testing company, filed for bankruptcy and is now seeking to sell off its assets - including sensitive genetic and health data - in a high-stakes auction. Oregon and other states argue that customers should have the right to control such deeply personal information and that it cannot be sold like ordinary property.

The states argue that this kind of information - biological samples, DNA data, health-related traits, and medical records - is too sensitive to be sold without each person’s express, informed consent. If the buyers are unwilling to provide such consent, it is possible that the information will be unable to be sold. In either case, the states will be helping ensure that people’s genetic data isn’t misused, exposed in future data breaches, or used in ways customers never contemplated when they signed up to have their DNA analyzed.

If consumers provided their DNA to 23andMe, there are steps they can take to delete their genetic information now, to prevent it from being sold. Click here to see a previous consumer alert issued by Attorney General Rayfield.