THE New York Attorney General, Letitia James, along with a coalition of 42 state attorneys general, reached an $18 million settlement with genetic testing company 23andMe for failing to protect customer genetic data. This follows a significant data breach in October 2023 that exposed personal information of 6.9 million consumers, with some data being sold on the dark web. The settlement includes new data protection requirements for 23andMe and additional payments to New York.
The breach was attributed to inadequate security measures by 23andMe, including failure to monitor and address unusual login patterns. Following bankruptcy proceedings, 23andMe's data was sold to TTAM Research, which has committed to enhanced data security measures.