The rise and fall of 23andMe

The company’s reputation took another hit in September when an SEC filing said Wojcicki “would be open to considering third-party takeover proposals.”

Wojcicki walked back that consideration in a filing later that month.

“Based on subsequent developments, it has become even clearer to me that the best path forward for the Issuer is for me to take the company private,” she said.

“Accordingly, in order to update my prior statement and avoid any confusion in the market, I am no longer open to considering third-party takeover proposals for the Issuer.”

However, Wojcicki’s remarks about selling the company to a third-party issuer raised consumer concerns about what could happen to their data if a sale did take place.

The Atlantic reported that the sale of 23andMe could also mean the potential sale of user data. The director of cybersecurity at Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit focused on digital privacy, urged users to delete their data in a post that garnered 547,000 views.

A 23andMe spokesperson previously told BI that Wojcicki “has publicly shared she intends to take the company private, and is not open to considering third-party takeover proposals.”

The statement added: “Anne has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the company’s mission and values, and to its customers, pledging to maintain 23andMe’s strong security and privacy policies, including following the intended completion of the acquisition she is pursuing.”