Genetic Testing Company 23andMe is Being Accused of Failing to Protect the Privacy of Customers

Business News (January 27,2024) – Genetic testing company 23andMe is being accused of failing to protect the privacy of customers whose personal information was exposed in a data breach last year that affected nearly seven million profiles.

The lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in San Francisco on Friday, also accused the company of failing to inform customers with Chinese and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage that they were specifically targeted, or that their personal Genetic information was compiled. Specially curated lists” that were shared and sold on the dark web.

The lawsuit was filed after 23andMe submitted a notification to the California Attorney General’s Office, showing that the hack occurred over the course of five months, from late April 2023 to September 2023, before the company became aware of the breach. I went. According to a filing reported by TechCrunch, the company became aware of the breach on October 1, when a hacker posted on the unofficial 23andMe subreddit claiming to have customer data and sharing a sample as evidence.Read more here.