Cookie Policy
Summary
Last Updated: June 8, 2022
This Cookie Policy explains how 23andMe uses cookies and similar tracking technologies when you visit or use our Services. We encourage you to read the full Cookie Policy to understand how we use cookies, and your related choices. We will generally refer to cookies, web beacons, flash cookies, pixels, and other tracking technologies collectively as “cookies” in this policy.
To make it simple, we use the same terms as defined in our Privacy Statement and Terms of Service. Any new terms will be defined below. This Cookie Policy should be read together with our Privacy Statement and our Terms of Service.
1. What are Cookies?
Cookies are text files, containing small amounts of information, which are downloaded to your device as you browse the web or use a web-enabled app. We use cookies to deliver, secure, and understand use of our Services and ads.
There are two types of cookies: session cookies and persistent cookies. A session cookie lasts while your browser is open and is automatically deleted when you close your browser. A persistent cookie lasts until you or your browser deletes the cookies, or they expire.
Cookies set by us are called “first party cookies,” while cookies set by parties other than 23andMe are called “third party cookies.” The parties that set third party cookies can recognize your device, both when you use our Services and when you use other websites or mobile apps. To understand how other companies use cookies, please review their policies. Both first party and third party cookies can serve a number of different functions, such as analytics, marketing and advertising.
2. How does 23andMe use cookies and other tracking technology?
Like most online services, 23andMe uses cookies for a number of reasons, like keeping your 23andMe data secure, helping us improve our Services, understanding how you engage with web content and emails we send, and generally improving your experience with us, including providing you with relevant advertising, so you have an intuitive and enjoyable experience. You can find out more about the cookies we use in the table below.
| Category of Cookies | Why We Use These Cookies |
|---|---|
| Necessary | We use these cookies to provide our Services, and to detect, prevent and mitigate security risks. For example, we use these types of cookies to help you authenticate into your account securely, or to enable you to move around this site and use its features. |
| Functional | We use these cookies to help you do things on our Services, remember your settings and preferences, and to improve your experience on our Services, like providing enhanced features and content to you. For example, these cookies can be used to remember your language choice or country selection, or give you referral credits when you deserve them. |
| Performance & Analytics | We use these cookies to understand how you use our Services, monitor site performance, and improve our Services and your experience. For example, these cookies allow us to know which pages are visited the most often, how people are moving from one link to another and if they get error messages from certain pages. |
| Advertising & Marketing | We use these cookies to deliver advertisements, to make them more relevant to you and your interests, and to measure efficiency of advertising communications and marketing campaigns. For example, these cookies remember that you have visited a website and this information may be shared with other organizations such as third party advertisers. |
3. What are my privacy options?
We are committed to offering you meaningful privacy choices. If you choose to disable or opt-out of certain cookies, you may experience some loss of function or availability throughout our Service. You have a number of options to control or limit how we and third parties use cookies:
- Via our cookie management tool If you are located in certain jurisdictions where our cookie management tool is available, such as the European Union or the United States, you can access the tool by clicking “Cookie Settings”. Our cookie management tool allows you to make certain choices regarding cookies that are not “Necessary” cookies. For example, if you choose not to enable certain Cookies, you may not be able to use the referral links and get credit for referrals or share information on our Services through social media platforms.
- Via your browser settings You can use the browser or device that you are using to view this site to enable, disable or delete first and third-party cookies.
- Third Party Opt Outs As described in this policy, 23andMe uses cookies from third party analytics, advertising and marketing service providers to collect information about its Services, the effectiveness of its marketing campaigns and other operations. For example, we use the User-ID feature of Google Analytics to combine behavioral information across devices and sessions (including authenticated and unauthenticated sessions) on our Services.
Please note, to disable advertising cookies, some third parties may need to set an opt-out cookie on your device. Sometimes a device’s configuration may prevent such third parties from setting such cookies, for example, if your device is set to block all third party cookies by default. This means that you may need to change your device settings to accept cookies to fully disable advertising cookies. Please also note, we do not support the Do Not Track browser option.
4. How does 23andMe use third party social plugins?
23andMe uses social plugins provided and operated by third parties, such as a Facebook “share” button. If you choose to use social plugins, you may be sharing information with the company that manages the social plugins (“Social Media Third Party”) during your interactions. This means that the Social Media Third Party may be able to link information or actions about your interactions with the 23andMe Services to your account with them. Please refer to the Social Media Third Party’s privacy policies to learn more about its data practices.
5. Will this Cookie Policy be updated?
We will update this Cookie Policy from time to time. You can also revisit this page if you wish to keep yourself informed.
6. Where can I learn more?
For more information, you can review the following resources:
- If you would like to learn more about cookies, including how to change your browser settings, please visit www.allaboutcookies.org
- If you would like more information about cookies and targeted advertisements or to opt out of having this information used by companies that are part of the Network Advertising Initiative, please visit www.networkadvertising.org/choices or the Digital Advertising Alliance, please visit youradchoices.com/control.
If you have any questions regarding 23andMe’s Cookie Policy please contact us at privacy@23andme.com.
Read the previous version of the document.