Genealogists worldwide are asking: what happens to my data now?
This weekend, 23andMe entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
What does this mean for you? For your raw DNA data? For your matches?
Let’s cut through the noise and get to what matters for genealogists.
23andMe Was Never Really About Genealogy
First, understand this crucial point.
23andMe was never about family trees. Ever.
It’s a Silicon Valley health testing company with pharmaceutical ambitions. Their long-term strategy involved developing drugs using their stockpile of DNA samples from millions of customers who agreed their data could be used for research.
Anne Wojcicki’s vision was to transform 23andMe from a basic testing company into a comprehensive healthcare organization that develops drugs, offers medical care and sells subscription health reports.
Genealogy features? A way to grow their database while generating initial revenue.
Yet family historians found unexpected treasure in those connections. The match lists became indispensable tools for breaking through brick walls, despite being secondary to the company’s business model.
An Accidental Genealogy Resource
The typical 23andMe user bears little resemblance to Ancestry’s crowd, in my opinion.
They came for health insights. Genetic disease risks. Unique personal traits.
Many have no interest in responding to your carefully crafted messages about shared great-great-grandparents.
No family trees. No engagement. No genealogy mindset.
This creates a unique dynamic. A database packed with potential connections, but many leading nowhere because these testers never intended to participate in family history research.
Different by design. Valuable by accident.
What Bankruptcy Protection Really Means
Bankruptcy protection isn’t the end. It’s a reorganization.
The company continues operating while they find a buyer or investor. Currently, they’re still processing kits, maintaining the site, and protecting data according to their statement.
But changes are coming. Guaranteed.
Former CEO Anne Wojcicki has stepped down and positioned herself as a potential buyer. This could be good news if she maintains the current services.
Or someone else might buy it. Maybe a pharmaceutical company interested mainly in the health data. Maybe a genealogy-first competitor looking to absorb the customer base.
Each scenario carries different implications for genealogists.
Act Now: Download Your Data
Nothing in the digital world is permanent.
This news makes one thing crystal clear: back up your data NOW.
For your raw DNA data:
- Log into your 23andMe account
- Go to https://you.23andme.com/user/
- Scroll to the bottom
- Click “Download Raw Data”
Don’t wait. Do it today. This ensures you’ll have your genetic information regardless of what happens to the company.
Save Your Matches Before They’re Gone
Here’s where things get tricky: 23andMe doesn’t have a built-in feature to download your match list. Sure, you can manually copy/paste, but that could take ages and lead to user error.
I’ve created a free tool to help with this critical task: you can try it here.
This workaround helps you save your valuable match information while it’s still accessible.
The Long-Term Impact
Even if 23andMe emerges successfully from bankruptcy protection, damage has been done.
Trust is broken. The negative association will likely prevent many potential testers from using their service in the future.
Fewer testers mean fewer matches. Fewer matches mean less genealogical value.
The California Attorney General has even issued warnings about considering data deletion due to uncertainty about where personal genetic information might end up.
But deletion means permanently cutting ties with potential family connections. It’s a personal choice with real consequences.
Digital Genealogy: Nothing Is Forever
This situation reinforces a critical lesson for modern genealogists.
Nothing digital is permanent. Not your trees. Not your DNA matches. Not your genetic reports.
If it matters, back it up. Multiple places. Right now.
Companies change. Terms changes. Services disappear. Platforms go offline.
Your genealogy research deserves to be preserved regardless of any company’s business trajectory.
What Comes Next?
The coming months will reveal 23andMe’s fate.
Will a buyer maintain the genealogy features? Will the database remain intact? Will your matches still be there next year?
Nobody knows.
What we do know is this: the genealogists who back up their data today won’t have to worry about these questions tomorrow.
Your future discoveries depend on the actions you take today.
Wise words. Thanks you!
The JSON to CSV worked wonderfully, thanks Marc!
The JSON to CSV is fantastic!
I have enjoyed your comments on so many issues. I am “that kind of genealogist” that you describe in so many of your posts.
Thank you very much for putting this up. I feel you sound like a voice of reason as people are starting to panic. I will share as relatives ask me about 23andMe bankruptcy issues.
Thanks for this! A great time-saver, and the CSV file shows some items that are visible from the list view. I’d like to remind people to do this periodically to keep track of the smaller matches that will be scrolling off when bigger matches come on board.
I did the 23 and me back in 2006 or 2007, Got emails from them for years – take this survey etc. about 2 years ago, got email to do survey but I was unable to log in. contacted 23 and me – they wanted me to send a copy of my drivers license with picture to prove it was me! they did not have my picture to begin with so sending my drivers license sounding sketchy to me. Unsubscribed. Just got an email from them (interestingly they have my email but need picture license to prove its me) wanting money to update account. would not trust site