March 25 (Reuters) - New York Attorney General Letitia

James urged customers of 23andMe on Tuesday to delete

their accounts and protect their data after the DNA-testing

company filed for bankruptcy over the weekend.

"New Yorkers' genetic data is sensitive information that

must be protected at all costs," James said in an alert issued

to consumers.

23andMe filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. on Sunday, after

struggling with weak demand for its ancestry testing kits and a

2023 data breach that damaged its reputation.

The company has said the bankruptcy process will not

affect how it stores, manages or protects customer data, but

users have expressed concern, with many posting on social media

to lay out steps to delete accounts.

James said New York residents could contact her office

if they were facing issues in deleting their information stored

by 23andMe.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta had also urged

customers on Friday to delete their genetic data, citing

23andMe's financial distress.