LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Just when you thought Michigan Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel couldn’t possibly squeeze one more legal battle into her already lawsuit-stuffed calendar, she’s back with another swing, this time to protect your DNA.
On Tuesday, June 10, Nessel proudly announced in a press release she has joined a bipartisan coalition of 27 states and the District of Columbia, in a lawsuit objecting to the potential sale of genetic data collected by 23andMe, the popular spit-in-a-tube ancestry kit. Customers submitted their genetic material voluntarily to explore their ancestry, not anticipating it could later be included in a potential asset sale.
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The bankrupt company is looking to auction off its assets, including the genetic blueprints of 15 million customers – but Nessel says it won’t happen on her watch.
Multitasking AG.
“Our personal and sensitive genetic data should never be sold to the highest bidder without our explicit consent,” Nessel said. “I am proud to join my colleagues in challenging this deeply concerning sale and remain committed to protecting the privacy of Michigan residents.”
Between chromosomes and courtrooms, Nessel stays booked and busy.
Nessel is focusing on protecting the DNA of Michiganders while shuffling about 17 active Trump lawsuits and drafting her next press releases. She has so much litigation against Trump, in fact, that she had a webpage designed to keep track of them all called the Federal Actions Tracker.
While Nessel is busy being one of the country’s leading anti-Trump attorneys general, she’s also now also laser-focused on making sure your chromosome report doesn’t end up in a biotech bidding war. She filed this lawsuit, the press release says “to protect each customer’s right to control such deeply personal information and to prevent it from being sold like ordinary property.”
Michigan AG fights to keep your DNA off the auction block.
The lawsuit, filed in federal bankruptcy court, claims that DNA and medical data aren’t just another commodity to be sold off like used office chairs. The coalition insists that without clear, informed consent from customers, 23andMe has no right to sell what is literally the code to your existence.
To help consumers keep their genes to themselves, Nessel even issued a handy alert telling folks how to delete accounts and request data destruction.
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So, rest easy, Michigan. Dana Nessel is fighting for your saliva – even if it means she has to take a brief pause from suing Trump.