California sues 23andMe over large 2023 data breach
Yahoo • • business
Key Points:
- California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued genetics testing company 23andMe over a 2023 data breach that exposed genetic and personal information of about 6.9 million U.S. customers, including 856,000 Californians.
- The lawsuit alleges 23andMe ignored warnings about system compromises and downplayed the breach's severity, which lasted approximately five months starting in April 2023.
- Bonta seeks civil fines potentially totaling multiple millions of dollars for violations of California's Genetic Information Privacy Act and consumer protection laws.
- The suit follows 23andMe's March 2025 Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, citing the breach, litigation, increased competition, and declining demand, with a $30-$50 million settlement fund already approved to resolve most customer claims.
- California also opposes the $305 million sale of 23andMe's assets to a nonprofit linked to co-founder Anne Wojcicki, arguing consumers' rights to consent to data transfers remain unresolved.