Biobanking Consent Document

Consent for Sample Storage and Additional Analyses

As a 23andMe customer, you have the option to have your biological specimens (“Samples”), including the DNA extracted from any Samples, stored by 23andMe Research Institute (“23andMe” or “23andMe Research LLC” or “23andMe Genomics LLC”) and/or its authorized service providers (our “biobank”). Outside of 23andMe Research, enrolling in biobanking may help you access the most up-to-date information from 23andMe through additional analysis of your stored Samples. If you choose to have your Samples stored, you will be agreeing to allow 23andMe to access and analyze your stored Samples, using the same or more advanced technologies, including, for example, exome and/or whole genome sequencing. This biobanking consent applies to any biological specimens (including saliva, blood, microbiome, tissue samples, etc.) you provide to 23andMe in order to receive a 23andMe Service and/or as part of a 23andMe Research study.

Additional Analyses of Stored Participant Samples

The purpose of the biobank is to allow 23andMe to further analyze your stored Samples:

  • to deliver new services, reports or information to you;
  • for 23andMe Research, if you’ve consented to the 23andMe Research Consent Document; and
  • for product research and development.

Unless you withdraw your biobanking consent or close your account, your permission to keep and analyze your Samples at our biobank does not expire, and 23andMe may continue to store and analyze your Samples.

Participation Is Voluntary

Taking part in our biobank is voluntary and entirely your choice. If you do not consent to have your Samples stored, it will not impact your ability to receive or participate in the 23andMe Service for which you submitted your Samples, and your Samples will be securely discarded after completion of the analysis for which it was submitted.

Privacy

All of the same protections, terms, and safeguards described in our Terms of Service and Privacy Statement will apply to the storage of your Samples and any information generated from our further analysis of your Samples. Samples are stripped of personal identifiers (i.e. name and contact information). 23andMe uses a range of physical, technical, and administrative procedures to protect the security and privacy of your Personal Information, including your Samples and the data generated from the analysis of your Samples.

Withdrawing Your Consent

You may withdraw your consent to biobanking at any time via your account settings. The withdrawal of your consent will not affect the lawfulness of our processing based on your consent before its withdrawal. Once you withdraw your biobanking consent, 23andMe will securely discard your stored Samples within the legally applicable timeframe. Please note that if you delete your 23andMe account, your stored Samples will be securely destroyed.

For general questions about this consent, please contact: privacy@23andme.com.
For questions specific to 23andMe Research, please contact the 23andMe Human Protections Administrator: hpa@23andme.com; or, for any questions or concerns that you do not wish to discuss with 23andMe, please contact the independent, impartial Research review board, Salus IRB: salus@salusirb.com.

Read the previous version of the document.