OpenSNP, a vast open-source repository of user-uploaded genetic data, is set to shut down and delete all its data by the end of April, as confirmed by its co-founder, Bastian Greshake Tzovaras.

In a blog post, Greshake Tzovaras, a co-founder of openSNP, cited concerns over data privacy, particularly in light of the financial collapse of 23andMe and the global rise of authoritarian governments, as the primary reasons for the site’s closure.

Established in 2011 by Greshake Tzovaras, along with Philipp Bayer and Helge Rausch, openSNP served as a public repository where customers of commercial genetic testing kits, including those from 23andMe, could upload their test results and connect with others who shared similar genetic variations. At the time of its closure announcement, the site boasted nearly 13,000 users, making it one of the largest public repositories of genetic data. Since its inception, openSNP has significantly contributed to academic and scientific research, identifying over 7,500 genomes.

The news of openSNP’s shutdown follows closely on the heels of 23andMe’s filing for bankruptcy protection, intensifying concerns that the company’s vast repository of sensitive genetic customer data may be sold to the highest bidder, potentially compromising 23andMe’s privacy commitments. The attorneys general of California and New York, among others, have advised 23andMe customers to delete their data ahead of the court-approved selloff scheduled for later this year.

Greshake Tzovaras also pointed to the “rise in far-right and other authoritarian governments” as a contributing factor in the decision to shut down openSNP, referencing the removal of public data from U.S. government websites following President Trump’s return to power.

“The risk versus benefit analysis of providing free and open access to individual genetic data in 2025 is vastly different from what it was 14 years ago,” Greshake Tzovaras wrote. “Sunsetting openSNP and deleting the data stored within it feels like the most responsible stewardship of these data today.”

“Always been a balancing act”

In a conversation with TechCrunch, Greshake Tzovaras was candid about his decision to shut down openSNP now rather than sooner.

“The reason for doing it now is ultimately the occurrence of what can be described as a fascist coup in the U.S.,” Greshake Tzovaras, a native of Germany, told TechCrunch.

“Witnessing people being taken from the streets under highly questionable pretexts cannot be termed anything else,” he commented, alluding to recent reports of individuals, including U.S. citizens, being arrested in immigration raids, with some remaining unaccounted for.

Greshake Tzovaras noted that the “large-scale dismantling of scientific institutions and science itself” since the beginning of the second Trump administration in January has been a factor in the shutdown of openSNP.

“I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to worry about how genetic data might soon be misused to make false claims about various topics, effectively bringing back a darker era of eugenics,” he said.

Greshake Tzovaras emphasized that openSNP has “always been a balancing act” between its potential benefits and risks, with its existence being an ongoing consideration of whether the benefits could outweigh the risks.

He provided a historical example from 2018 when law enforcement used genetic data from the genealogy site GEDmatch to identify a notorious serial killer. At the time, Greshake Tzovaras believed openSNP seemed less relevant or at risk for use by law enforcement compared to larger ancestry-specific databases. (Greshake Tzovaras confirmed to TechCrunch that, despite the public and open nature of the data it stores, openSNP has never received a law enforcement request for any genetic or user data.)

Greshake Tzovaras observed that, in comparison to the first Trump administration, “the misuse of science is both qualitatively and quantitatively very different from what we see today.”

“Considering the broader conversation about the impact of genetic data in the context of 23andMe’s bankruptcy, we decided it’s time to shut down openSNP,” Greshake Tzovaras told TechCrunch.

On a positive note, Greshake Tzovaras told TechCrunch that keeping openSNP operational for 14 years could be considered his “biggest achievement.” Running on a minimal budget of about $100 per month, openSNP stood in contrast to commercial startups that sought to monetize people’s data but ultimately failed. In this sense, Greshake Tzovaras views openSNP as a “testament to the power of open source/culture.”

The site has also made significant contributions to research and publications across a wide range of disciplines, from information security and privacy to biomedical studies, said Greshake Tzovaras. Many undergraduates have also benefited from access to real-world data hosted by openSNP.

“In that sense, I think our goal of ‘democratizing’ access to genomics was at least partially successful,” said Greshake Tzovaras.

Updated to correct the name of openSNP throughout.