23andMe sees independent board directors quit en masse
TechCrunchSEP 2024
While 23&Me was genuine in its pursuit to democratize the healthcare industry, it stretched itself too thin by attempting multiple unproven businesses simultaneously. By shifting to genetic testing without retaining a strong ancestry-focused service, it was left vulnerable and ultimately killed by federal regulation. 23&Me shouldn't have put all of its eggs ininto one basket without knowing they would hatch.
23&Me was ethically compromised from the beginning, as it was funneling untold amounts of genetic information into a Google database. Its claim that all data collection was consensual was also false, as the company used its research and development clause to collect everyone's genetic material with or without permission. Even those who supported the healthcare democratization aspect of the company were concerned about its relationship with Big Tech.
There is a 73% chance that there will be an adversarial use of consumer genomic data before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.