Congress has questions on 23andMe chapter

3The leaders of the Home Committee on Power and Commerce stated they’re investigating how 23andMe’s chapter may have an effect on clients’ knowledge.

Representatives Brett Guthrie, Gus Bilirakis, and Gary Palmer (all Republicans) despatched a letter Thursday to the genetic testing firm’s interim CEO Joe Selsavage asking quite a few questions on how 23andMe will deal with buyer knowledge if the corporate is offered.

The letter additionally says that some clients have reported issues deleting their knowledge from the 23andMe web site, and it notes that direct-to-consumer firms like 23andMe are typically not coated by the protections of the Well being Insurance coverage Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

“Given the shortage of HIPAA protections, the patchwork of state legal guidelines protecting genetic privateness, and the uncertainty surrounding what occurs to buyer info ought to a sale of an organization or buyer knowledge and knowledge transpire, we’re involved that this trove of delicate info is susceptible to being comprised,” the representatives write.

23andMe, which settled an information breach lawsuit for $30 million final 12 months, filed for chapter 11 chapter in March, with co-founder and CEO Anne Wojciki saying she was resigning to develop into a personal bidder for the corporate.