What Happens to Your DNA Data if a Company Shuts Down?

The DNA testing market has consolidated noticeably since its 2018 peak. Companies have shut down, been acquired, or pivoted away from the consumer business. When that happens, your data goes somewhere, and it is not always the destination you would choose. We walk through what typically happens, what the recent precedents are, and what you can do in advance.

The three common patterns

When a consumer DNA company closes its consumer service, one of three things usually happens.

Pattern 1: Announcement window, then deletion. The company announces it is closing, gives users a defined window (often 30 to 90 days) to download their raw data, and then deletes the consumer database when the service ends. Samples in storage are typically destroyed at the same time.

Pattern 2: Sale or transfer to a successor entity. The company is acquired, or its assets are sold in bankruptcy, and the user data transfers to the new owner. The new owner is bound by the original terms of service plus whatever conditions the sale imposed. Users may or may not be given a deletion opportunity before the transfer.

Pattern 3: Indefinite limbo. Less common, but it happens. The company stops operating but does not formally close, the website goes static, and the user data sits with whichever entity holds it, often the founders or a holding company, under the original terms with no active service.

Pattern 1 is the most user-friendly outcome. Pattern 2 is what played out with 23andMe in 2025. Pattern 3 is the worst case from a privacy standpoint because it leaves data in storage with no clear stewardship.

Case study: Nebula Genomics

Nebula Genomics, founded in 2016 by George Church and colleagues at Harvard, offered whole genome sequencing at consumer-accessible prices (around $99 to $299 depending on the depth tier). The company emphasized a privacy-first model with controls over data sharing.

Nebula shut down its consumer service on February 5, 2025. The company gave users an announcement window to download their raw data and discontinued new orders. As of early 2026, Sequencing.com is the active whole-genome-sequencing option that has replaced Nebula in our matrix, though it operates under its own different terms.

This was a Pattern 1 outcome. Users who acted on the announcement could download their data. Users who did not check email or were not paying attention may have lost the window.

For the detailed history, see Nebula Genomics shutdown explained.

Case study: 23andMe

23andMe is the higher-profile case and a different pattern entirely. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2025. Its genetic data and core operating assets were sold to TTAM Research Institute, a nonprofit founded by 23andMe co-founder Anne Wojcicki, in mid-2025. The wind-down plan was approved by the bankruptcy court later that year.

This was a Pattern 2 outcome. Users who deleted their accounts before the transfer were not part of the transferred dataset. Users who did not delete had their data move to TTAM by default. State attorneys general required additional notice protections during the proceedings.

For the full picture, see 23andMe bankruptcy: what it means for your data and 23andMe data sale to TTAM, explained.

Why announcement windows matter and often fail

The announcement window is the user’s main protection in a shutdown scenario. It only works if you see the announcement. People miss them for predictable reasons: the email goes to spam, the email address on file is an old one no longer checked, the announcement comes during a busy month, or the user has not engaged with the service in years and ignores the email as a marketing message.

The longer it has been since you tested, the higher the probability that you will miss a shutdown notice. That is the practical case for the simple hedge below.

The hedge: download your data periodically

The most reliable protection against any shutdown scenario is to keep your own copy of your raw DNA data. Specifically:

• Download your raw data soon after you receive your results.
• Re-download every couple of years, or anytime the company announces a major change.
• Store the file in two places (your computer and cloud storage, for example).

Our complete walkthrough is at how to download your raw DNA data. The file is typically 5 to 20 MB; storage is not a real cost.

A downloaded raw file is also useful for free uploads to other services that accept them (MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA, Living DNA, GEDmatch). If your primary testing company closes, you can continue using your data on those platforms.

What about the physical sample?

A separate question that often gets overlooked. Most companies store the physical saliva sample after analysis unless you opt out. When a company shuts down, the sample either gets destroyed (Pattern 1) or transferred to the successor entity (Pattern 2). Pattern 3 is the worst case for samples too.

If you want your sample destroyed, request it through the company’s support process while the company is still operating. Do not wait until the closure announcement; the support staff may be busy or laid off at that point.

The summary

Shutdowns happen, the outcome depends on which pattern unfolds, and the user’s leverage is mostly upstream: download your data, choose companies whose terms are stable, and act on shutdown announcements when they come. For the broader privacy framework, see is it safe to do a DNA test in 2026 and our DNA testing privacy checklist.

This piece is part of our Genetic Data Privacy guide.