NY Attorney General James Secures $18 Million From 23andMe for Failing to Protect Customers’ Genetic Data
New York Attorney General Letitia James, joined by a bipartisan coalition of 42 other state attorneys general, reached an $18 million settlement with genetic testing company 23andMe over its failure to adequately protect customers' genetic data. California's attorney general has filed a separate lawsuit against the company under state privacy law.
Why this matters: Genetic data is not like a leaked password you can reset. It is permanent, it identifies your relatives, and it can reveal things about your health that even you do not know yet. 23andMe collected that data from millions of people who trusted them with it. The $18 million settlement spread across 43 states is a signal that regulators are paying attention, but it does not undo what happened. The California lawsuit still ahead means this company is not done answering for how it handled some of the most sensitive personal information that exists.
Who should care: Lawyers · Privacy officers · Compliance · General readers · Policy
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