23andMe Is Now TTAM: What Happened to Your Data

If you bought a 23andMe kit years ago, the last 18 months of headlines have probably left you with one simple question: what happened to my data? The company went through bankruptcy, a pharmaceutical company briefly won the auction, and then a nonprofit led by its co-founder ended up buying it. In July 2026 a new multistate settlement over the old 2023 data breach made the news again.

This explainer, dated September 17, 2026, walks through what actually happened, using the original announcements as sources, and then gives you a calm, practical checklist: save your raw data, store it safely, decide what to do about your account, and get the South Asian detail your original report never showed. It is general information, not legal advice.

The timeline: from bankruptcy to TTAM

Here is the sequence of events, each linked to the primary announcement.

Date	What happened
2023	Attackers used reused passwords from other breaches (credential stuffing) to get into 23andMe accounts. The UK regulator says the attack ran between April and September 2023.
March 23, 2025	23andMe started voluntary Chapter 11 proceedings to run a court-supervised sale. Anne Wojcicki stepped down as CEO and stayed on the board.
May 19, 2025	Regeneron agreed to buy 23andMe for $256 million after the bankruptcy auction.
June 13, 2025	After a final round of bidding, TTAM Research Institute was chosen as the winning bidder at $305 million, with Regeneron named backup bidder.
June 17, 2025	The UK Information Commissioner's Office fined 23andMe £2.31 million over the breach, which affected 155,592 UK users.
July 14, 2025	TTAM completed the acquisition of the Personal Genome Service and Research Services business lines.
July 14, 2026	The New York Attorney General announced an $18 million multistate settlement with 23andMe over the breach.

Why did Regeneron not end up owning 23andMe?

Regeneron's $256 million agreement came first. The company later announced that a new agreement with TTAM, at $305 million, would replace and nullify the Regeneron deal once the bankruptcy court approved it. TTAM was selected as the winning bidder, Regeneron as the backup, and the TTAM sale closed in July 2025.

What is TTAM Research Institute?

TTAM describes itself as a nonprofit public benefit corporation based in California, founded and led by Anne Wojcicki. In the closing announcement it says that, as part of TTAM, "23andMe is continuing to operate and provide customers with personalized DNA testing and research services." So 23andMe has not disappeared: it changed owners. The New York Attorney General's 2026 release refers to it as the nonprofit now operating as 23andMe Research Institute.

When the TTAM deal was announced, 23andMe listed several commitments the buyer made, including honouring existing deletion and opt-out rights, notifying customers before closing, setting up a consumer privacy advisory board, and offering two years of free identity theft monitoring.

What the 2026 settlement was about

The July 14, 2026 announcement from New York Attorney General Letitia James says 23andMe will pay $18 million as part of a settlement with 43 attorneys general, of which more than $705,000 goes to New York. It ties the case to the 2023 breach, which the release says affected 6.9 million consumers nationwide, including 305,245 New Yorkers, and exposed genetic ancestry information, some of which was listed for sale on the dark web.

According to the release, the company lacked safeguards against attacks using stolen credentials, and lacked logging and monitoring likely to detect a breach. Going forward, TTAM Research must carry out appropriate risk analysis, add an advisory board on data security, and continue to offer consumers the right to delete their information. The release does not explain how, or whether, individual customers receive money, so check the official page rather than relying on social media claims.

What to do now: a four-step checklist

1. Download your raw data first

Your raw data file is a plain text list of the genetic markers 23andMe measured for you. It is the one thing worth keeping regardless of what you decide next. The Electronic Frontier Foundation's guide describes the route: sign in, click your name, open Settings, scroll to 23andMe Data, click View, and request the Raw data download. 23andMe emails you when the file is ready. Menus can change, so if the labels look different, look for "23andMe Data" in your account settings.

Download the other items on that page too if they matter to you, such as your reports summary or family tree data. Not sure what the file contains? Our guide to the 23andMe raw data format explains every column.

2. Keep a safe offline copy

Treat the file like a passport scan. It is your genetic information and, in some cases, information about your relatives. A few sensible habits:

• Keep the original .zip or .txt exactly as downloaded. Do not open and re-save it in a spreadsheet.
• Store one copy on an encrypted drive or USB stick you control, and one in a password-protected location.
• Do not email it around or leave it in a shared downloads folder.
• Turn on two-factor authentication on any account where you keep it.

3. Decide on deletion and research consent

There is no single right answer here. It depends on how you feel about the new owner, whether you use DNA Relatives or other features, and your own privacy comfort level. What matters is understanding the trade-offs:

Option	What it means	What you lose
Keep your account	You stay a customer and keep access to your reports, features and downloads.	Nothing, but your data stays with the company under its new owner.
Change your research choice	TTAM has said customers keep the option to change their decision on whether to participate in research.	This is not a deletion: your account data remains with the company.
Permanently delete data	Your account data is deleted. Per the EFF guide, this also authorises the company to destroy your saliva sample.	All future downloads, reports and relative matches in 23andMe.

The EFF guide lays out the deletion steps: in the same 23andMe Data area, choose Permanently Delete Data, then confirm using the link in the email 23andMe sends you. The key point: deleting cuts off future access to your raw data download, which is why step 1 comes first.

4. Get the South Asian analysis 23andMe never gave you

For many Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan customers, the most disappointing part of 23andMe was never the ownership drama. It was a result that said "Broadly South Asian" and not much else. The file you just downloaded holds far more signal than that label.

With Helixline you upload that same unmodified file (23andMe v3, v4 or v5, as well as AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA and LivingDNA files) and get a report built around South Asian populations:

What you get	Upload Ancestry	Upload Complete
State-level ancestry breakdown	✓	✓
140+ community comparisons with a closest-match shortlist	✓	✓
ANI/ASI composition and chromosome painting across 22 autosomes	✓	✓
Ancient DNA similarity (Indus Valley, Steppe, AASI references)	✓	✓
Y-DNA and mtDNA haplogroups (if your file includes those markers)	✓	✓
30+ wellness traits, carrier screening, pharmacogenomics insights, PDF reports	-	✓
One-time price	$25 · £19 · €23 · CA$34 · A$38 · S$34 · AED 92 · ₹1,999	$50 · £39 · €46 · CA$68 · A$76 · S$68 · AED 184 · ₹3,999

Ancient DNA similarity is probabilistic and offered as historical context. The health sections of Upload Complete are informational and for wellness only, not a diagnosis.

How it works

1. Choose your plan and currency and pay on helixline.in/upload (Razorpay in 8 currencies, or PayPal in USD).
2. We email you your dashboard link.
3. Sign in with the same email and upload your unmodified .txt or .zip file. It takes about 2 minutes.
4. Your results arrive within 1-2 days.

You get a full refund until analysis starts, or if your file cannot be processed. See the upload terms for details.

How Helixline handles your data

After watching a DNA database pass through a bankruptcy sale, it is fair to ask any company how it treats your file. Here is our answer in plain terms:

• Stored in India and encrypted. Uploaded files are encrypted and kept on infrastructure in India.
• Covered by India's DPDP Act 2023. Helixline Data Science Private Limited operates under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act.
• Raw upload auto-deleted. Your uploaded raw file is automatically deleted within 30 days, and you can delete it yourself at any time before that.
• Never sold. We do not sell your genetic data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who owns 23andMe now?

23andMe is owned by TTAM Research Institute, a nonprofit public benefit corporation founded and led by 23andMe co-founder Anne Wojcicki. TTAM completed its purchase of the Personal Genome Service and Research Services business lines on July 14, 2025, through the Chapter 11 sale process, and 23andMe continues to operate under its ownership.

Can I still download my 23andMe raw data?

Yes, as of September 17, 2026, 23andMe is still operating, so you can sign in, open Settings, go to the 23andMe Data section and request your raw data file. The company emails you when the file is ready. Do this before deleting anything, because once your account is deleted you can no longer download the file.

Should I delete my 23andMe account?

It is a personal decision and this is not legal advice. Deleting permanently removes your account data and also authorises the company to destroy your saliva sample, but it cuts off future downloads and any matches or reports inside 23andMe. If you are unsure, download and safely store your raw data first, review your research consent setting, and then decide.

What was the 2026 settlement about?

On July 14, 2026 the New York Attorney General announced an 18 million dollar multistate settlement with 23andMe, reached with 43 attorneys general, over the 2023 data breach that affected 6.9 million consumers nationwide. The announcement says the company must carry out risk analysis, add an advisory board on data security and continue to offer consumers the right to delete their information.

What can I do with my 23andMe raw data file?

You can keep it as a personal backup, read it yourself, or upload it to another analysis service. Helixline accepts unmodified 23andMe v3, v4 and v5 files and returns a South Asian focused report with state-level ancestry, 140+ community comparisons, ANI/ASI composition and haplogroups, from $25 with results within 1-2 days.

The short list for today: download your 23andMe raw data, keep a safe copy, and make your deletion decision with that file already in hand. When you are ready to see what it says about your South Asian roots, upload it to Helixline. For more background, read what raw DNA data is, our 2026 guide to DNA upload sites for South Asian ancestry, and DNA ancestry for NRIs and the diaspora.