Emily Schwartz/DAILY

A few weeks ago while doom-scrolling my Instagram feed, I came across a blaring headline by The Washington Post urging me to immediately delete my DNA data from 23andMe: “If you’re one of the 15 million people who shared your DNA with 23andMe, it’s time to delete your data.” 

I almost skipped past it, but then remembered that I had taken their test in high school in an effort to find out more about my biological parents. The results had revealed nothing new to me nor offered any insight into my ancestry, so by the time I came across this warning, the entire ordeal had slipped my mind.  By March 23, the genetic information company declared bankruptcy, and later that week, California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a “consumer alert” warning people to delete their genetic data housed by the firm.

For most customers, severing ties with this company may seem like a cut-and-dry situation.  However, that decision may be far more complex for one group of people: adoptees. 

In between frantically searching for my old 23andMe login and scouring the news, I came across a post by the Nanchang Project, urging customers to keep their 23andMe data.  This nonprofit aims to build a community of adoptees and aid in their search for biological relatives in China by organizing DNA testing and origin search trips.  I happened to come across their website last year during my own search for more Asian adoptee communities.   Since its founding, the nonprofit has helped reunite 94 adoptees with their biological parents and have done more than 400 biological tests — all relying heavily on 23andMe. 

 

KEEP READING:  https://www.michigandaily.com/michigan-in-color/delete-your-account/