On March 23, 2025, 23andMe, along with its affiliates, filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company’s decision to file for bankruptcy follows in the wake of a 2023 data breach affecting close to 7 million customer...more
As noted in our last two client alerts, the issue as to who should be the watchdog to protect consumer personal data is coming to a head in the chapter 11 bankruptcy cases of 23andMe Holding Co and its affiliated debtors...more
23andMe’s recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing has sparked significant concerns over the privacy and security of genetic data belonging to its 15 million customers. Founded in 2006, 23andMe built its business around...more
23andMe, a pioneer in the DNA testing kit industry, announced that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and recently asked to select an independent customer data representative regarding any sale of user data....more
Since its 2006 founding, 23andMe’s (the “Company”) service of collecting, analyzing, and reporting customers’ genetic information has raised privacy concerns among many. Worsening those concerns, the Company filed for...more
On March 23, 2025, 23andMe Holding Co. (“23andMe”) filed for bankruptcy in the Eastern District of Missouri, potentially setting in motion the sale of genetic data collected from more than 15 million people. This has led to...more
Several state attorneys general (AGs) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have begun scrutinizing ancestry tracking company 23andMe following its recent announcement that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As part of...more
In the ongoing saga of the 23andMe bankruptcy, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson recently sent a letter to the Trustee overseeing the 23andMe bankruptcy proceeding stating, “As Chairman of the Federal Trade...more
In a March 31, 2025 letter, the Chair of the FTC, Andrew Ferguson, wrote to the Acting U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee and set out the FTC’s expectations for the protection of consumer information held by 23andMe. As we noted...more
Genetic testing company 23andMe has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and its CEO has resigned. It is seeking to sell “substantially all of its assets” through a reorganization plan that will have to be approved by...more
The chapter 11 bankruptcy cases of 23andMe Holding Co. and its affiliated debtors (collectively, “23andMe”), the company that provides direct-to-consumer genetic testing and ancestry services, has prompted a wave of panicked...more
The recent $30 million settlement between 23andMe and 6.4 million users following a major data breach offers important lessons for businesses dealing with sensitive genetic and genomic information....more
We have written a couple of times about the 23&Me phenomenon and the chance that those who enter this unknown world come back not just surprised but possibly creeped out by their quest for ancestral knowledge. USA Today...more
In the rapidly evolving landscape of data privacy and cybersecurity, the role of state attorneys general has become increasingly prominent. Here, we delve into a recent case – the data breach involving the prominent genetic...more
Valentine’s Day seemed an odd time to report the subject but CNN posted a five minute story provocatively titled as “I Slept with My Half Sibling.” This recounts the story of a Connecticut social worker who had symptoms of a...more
CYBERSECURITY - SEC’s Hacked X Account Leads to Tumultuous Bitcoin Market - The Securities and Exchange Commission has confirmed that its X account “was compromised, and an unauthorized post was posted.” The SEC...more
We previously alerted readers to the fact that the most recent data compromise of 23andMe exposed data related to Ashkenazi Jews and individuals of Chinese descent. It is reported by Ars Technica, citing TechCrunch, that...more
In October of 2023, a hacker claimed online that they had 23andMe users’ profile information. We know this as a result of 23andMe’s required statement to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on December 1, 2023. ...more
On Oct. 6, 2023, a genetic testing company offering ancestry and health reports, 23andMe, announced that its consumers’ data was listed on the dark web. Interestingly, many prominent figures such as Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk...more
Here are curated AG and federal regulatory news stories highlighting key areas in which state and federal regulators’ decisions are having an impact across the US: • 23andme Is Asked to Confirm if Data Security Is Part of...more
We previously reported on the unfortunate data breach suffered by 23andMe last month and its implications. We never imagined how horrible it could be....more
Connecticut AG William Tong sent an inquiry letter to 23andMe, Inc. asking the genetic testing and ancestry company for more information regarding an October 6th press release in which it disclosed that customer profile...more
We have posted blogs before on sharing genetic information and the risk associated with the disclosure of such sensitive information. Unfortunately, our concerns have been realized....more
Last month, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 41, the Genetic Information Privacy Act (“GIPA”), a law that regulates “direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies” that handle the “genetic data” of...more
Some app developers know more about our health than our doctors do. Take, for instance, FitBit, which is attached to our wrist and measuring in real time our temperature, our heart rate, our steps and whether we have had...more