Paxton Attempts to Block 23andMe From Selling Customer’s Personal Information

June 14, 2025 – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit in the ongoing 23andMe bankruptcy case, aiming to protect Texans’ genetic privacy and assert their rights over their personal genetic data. Paxton’s office is seeking a judgment that confirms Texans’ ownership of their genetic information and requires 23andMe to fully comply with Texas’s strict data privacy laws.

“Texas’s strong data privacy laws grant consumers property rights to their genetic information and require companies to obtain user consent before sharing any of this highly confidential data,” Paxton said in a statement. “Genetic testing companies have access to massive amounts of critically sensitive personal information, and I will fight to ensure that businesses follow the law and secure Texans’ personal data.”

The lawsuit comes as 23andMe, known for its popular direct-to-consumer genetic testing kits, recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Eastern District of Missouri. During the bankruptcy proceedings, the company proposed selling customer data — including genetic profiles, health histories, and other personally identifiable information — as part of its asset portfolio to potential buyers.

Paxton argues that such a sale would violate Texas’s Genetic Information Privacy laws, which require separate, express consent from individuals before their genetic data can be sold, transferred, or disclosed to third parties. The lawsuit emphasizes that genetic data is not just another asset to be sold in bankruptcy but is a uniquely personal form of property that remains under the control of the individual.

This case could set a major precedent for consumer genetic privacy rights, particularly as more Americans use services like 23andMe to explore their ancestry and health risks. Paxton’s action positions Texas at the forefront of the growing national debate over who truly owns and controls personal genetic data.