Privacy Fears Prompt Shutdown of Genetic Database OpenSNP
Global, Tuesday, 1 April 2025.
OpenSNP has ceased operations to safeguard users’ genetic data from authoritarian governments, emphasizing heightened data privacy concerns in the genetics field.
End of an Era in Open Genetic Data
After fourteen years of operation, OpenSNP announced its permanent shutdown scheduled for April 30, 2025 [1]. The platform, which has collected approximately 7,500 genomes since its inception in April 2011, primarily from 23andMe users who voluntarily shared their genetic information [2]. The decision comes in the wake of 23andMe’s bankruptcy, which was finalized on February 28, 2025 [1], significantly impacting the platform’s ability to gather new data.
Shifting Landscape of Genetic Data Usage
According to founder Bastian Greshake Tzovaras, the risk-benefit analysis of providing open access to genetic data has fundamentally changed since the project’s launch [1][2]. The primary concern stems from law enforcement agencies becoming the dominant users of direct-to-consumer genetic data, rather than the intended biomedical research community [2]. Adding to these concerns, OpenSNP recently faced pressure from a startup seeking to leverage their database for DNA phenotyping products targeted at law enforcement - a technology Greshake Tzovaras describes as ‘unreliable nonsense’ [3].
Privacy in an Authoritarian Era
The global political climate has played a crucial role in this decision. The rise of far-right and authoritarian governments worldwide has raised serious concerns about the potential misuse of genetic information [2][3]. These regimes have shown a troubling pattern of replacing scientific reasoning with pseudoscience across various disciplines [2]. California’s Genetic Information Privacy Act, while offering some protections for genetic data privacy [7], cannot safeguard against international threats, making the complete deletion of data the most responsible course of action.
Impact on Scientific Research
The shutdown marks a significant shift in the open science movement [1]. Operating on a modest budget of less than €100 per month and funded partially through Patreon supporters [2], OpenSNP demonstrated an alternative model for conducting open science. However, the platform’s closure raises important questions about the future of public genetic data sharing in an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape [1][2].