Oversight Committee Chairman uncovers a chilling national security threat as one company’s bankruptcy risks exposing 15 million Americans’ DNA to Chinese-linked entities.
Americans trust companies with their most personal information every day.
But one shocking discovery has Congress in an uproar.
And James Comer just exposed one terrifying secret about China’s access to America’s DNA.
23andMe’s bankruptcy puts 15 million Americans’ DNA up for grabs
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) pulled back the curtain on a national security nightmare that’s been hiding in plain sight.
At a hearing titled "Securing Americans’ Genetic Information: Privacy and National Security Concerns Surrounding 23andMe’s Bankruptcy Sale," Comer revealed the shocking truth about what’s really at stake when companies go belly up.
The direct-to-consumer genetic testing company 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 23, 2025, leaving the DNA data of over 15 million Americans hanging in the balance.
But this isn’t just about a failed business model.
Comer dropped bombshell after bombshell about 23andMe’s disturbing connections to America’s greatest adversary.
"23andMe has a record of engaging with foreign adversaries, namely the Chinese Communist Party," Comer stated during his opening remarks.
The Kentucky Republican revealed that in 2015, 23andMe received $115 million in funding from investors including WuXi Healthcare Ventures.
WuXi Healthcare Ventures was the corporate venture arm of WuXi AppTec, a company with documented ties to the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.
That investment valued 23andMe at $1.1 billion at the time.
The Chinese connection gets even worse
The financial ties between 23andMe and Chinese entities weren’t just a one-time deal.
Intelligence officials recently told senators that WuXi AppTec had transferred U.S. intellectual property to Beijing without consent from American clients.
The FBI, State Department, and Office of the Director of National Intelligence delivered a classified briefing revealing that WuXi AppTec and other Chinese entities had engaged in activities contrary to U.S. national security interests.
Comer highlighted the broader pattern of Chinese exploitation of American genetic data.
"The CCP has a history of misusing genetic data, including DNA tests to track Uyghur Muslims," Comer explained.
The threat isn’t theoretical.
In 2023, hackers exposed personal information from nearly seven million 23andMe profiles, mostly targeting Jewish and Chinese customers.
The New York Times reported that China and other countries are working to dominate these technologies and are using both legal and illegal means to obtain American expertise.
Pentagon warned military against DNA testing years ago
The national security concerns about 23andMe aren’t new revelations.
Back in December 2019, the U.S. Department of Defense advised military members not to use consumer DNA kits.
The Pentagon warned that the information collected by private companies could pose a security risk.
A Department of Defense memo specifically raised concerns about outside parties using genetic data for mass surveillance and unauthorized tracking.
The memo warned that consumer DNA kits pose both personal and operational risks to service members.
Military officials understood what many Americans didn’t – that genetic information in the wrong hands could be weaponized against U.S. interests.
Regeneron partnership raises new red flags
The bankruptcy auction has attracted interest from pharmaceutical giant Regeneron, which announced a $256 million bid to acquire 23andMe.
But Comer pointed out another troubling connection.
Regeneron partnered with Chinese company Zai Lab Limited on drug clinical trials during the height of the COVID pandemic.
This raises serious questions about whether American genetic data could end up flowing to Chinese partners through back-door arrangements.
Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia have already filed a lawsuit in bankruptcy court seeking to block any sale of personal genetic data without customer consent.
The states recognize the existential threat posed by foreign access to American DNA.
Americans’ genetic data is a weapon waiting to be used
The implications go far beyond individual privacy.
Genetic information could be used to assess higher insurance premiums, restrict credit extensions by financial institutions, and enable targeted advertising based on medical predispositions.
But the national security implications are even more chilling.
"It is imperative that 23andMe, and other companies like it, ensure there is absolutely no legal or illegal way for foreign adversaries or anyone else to access, manipulate, and abuse Americans’ genetic data to advance their nefarious agendas," Comer declared.
The Chinese military has shown they’re willing to use any advantage against America.
Genetic data represents the ultimate intelligence treasure trove – information that could potentially be used to develop biological weapons or identify vulnerabilities in the American population.
Consumer Reports is urging 23andMe customers to delete their data immediately.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has advised Californians to delete their data and have 23andMe destroy their saliva samples.
But for millions of Americans, it may already be too late.
Once genetic information is shared with research partners or sold to third parties, there’s no putting the genie back in the bottle.
Congress must act before it’s too late
Comer’s hearing exposed the urgent need for legislative action to protect Americans’ genetic information.
The Committee is exploring legislative solutions to establish strong safeguards and ensure long-term protection of genetic data.
But time is running out.
Every day that passes without action leaves millions of Americans vulnerable to genetic espionage by foreign adversaries.
The 23andMe bankruptcy should serve as a wake-up call for every American who has ever spit in a tube for a DNA test.
Your most personal information – the very blueprint of your biological identity – could end up in the hands of those who wish America harm.
Congress has the power to prevent this genetic nightmare from becoming reality.
The question is whether they’ll act before it’s too late.
