SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Yesterday, the California legislature approved SB 980, a bill endorsed by Consumer Reports that establishes key privacy protections over the data collected by direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies, like Ancestry.com and 23 & Me. On Sunday, the California Assembly voted 54-10 in favor of the bill, and the bill concurred in the Senate on Monday night on a 39-0 vote.
“Genetic data can provide deeply sensitive insights into a consumer’s health profile, and no one should be able to access it without the consumers’ permission,” said Maureen Mahoney, policy analyst for Consumer Reports. “This bill puts consumers squarely in control of their genetic data. We urge Governor Newsom to sign SB 980, so consumers have the privacy protections they need over this sensitive data.”
Contact: Cyrus Rassool, cyrus.rassool@consumer.org