23andMe is one of the nation’s largest consumer genetic testing companies. 23andMe lets consumers take an at-home DNA test and send it to 23andMe for genetic testing. Once the results of the test are available, 23andMe offers several other services including genotyping reports, trait reports, DNA relative finder, health predisposition reports, and pharmacogenetics reports.

In early October 2023, 23andMe, a prominent consumer genetic testing company, experienced a significant data breach impacting approximately 7 million of its users. Initially, the company reported that the breach affected only 0.1% of its customers, equating to about 14,000 individuals. However, it was recently revealed that the actual number of affected individuals was much higher. The breach involved unauthorized access to personal data of about 5.5 million people who had opted into 23andMe’s DNA Relatives feature, a service allowing customers to share certain data with others. This data included names, birth years, relationship labels, the percentage of DNA shared with relatives, ancestry reports, and self-reported locations. Additionally, the breach compromised the Family Tree profile information of another 1.4 million users, including display names, relationship labels, birth years, and locations. 23andMe is reported to be currently in the process of notifying its customers who were impacted by the breach.

Labaton is pursuing private arbitration claims against 23andMe on behalf of 23andMe members who were notified that their personal and genetic data were exposed as a result of this breach. Successful claims could be entitled to compensation of up to $750 under California privacy laws, or additional amounts in other states.