23andMe has agreed to pay $30 million to resolve a lawsuit alleging its failure to adequately protect personal and sensitive data following a breach last year that impacted 6.9 million customers, Reuters reports.
Attackers were able to compromise 23andMe over five months beginning April 2023, enabling access to 5.5 million DNA Relatives profiles and details from 1.4 million users of the Family Tree feature, said the company in a disclosure in October. However, the lawsuit claimed that the major genetics firm did not inform its Chinese and Ashkenazi Jewish customers that they were particularly targeted by the compromise. Aside from the settlement, which was deemed to be "fair, adequate, and reasonable," 23andMe will be providing impacted customers with three years access to the Privacy & Medical Shield + Genetic Monitoring program. On the other hand, arbitrations by several thousands of class action members were moved to be stopped by the firm amid its financial troubles.
