23andMe faced a fine of over $2.3 million due to a massive data breach in 2023 that compromised the personal information of over 150,000 individuals in the UK. The breach included sensitive data such as family trees and health reports. The company confirmed the breach months after it began, only after the stolen data appeared for sale on Reddit. The UK Information Commissioner emphasized the breach's extensive impact. Following the incident, many customers requested the deletion of their DNA data, and the company filed for bankruptcy protection in the US shortly after.
As one of those impacted told us: once this information is out there, it cannot be changed or reissued like a password or credit card number.
Edwards said the data breach exposed sensitive personal information, family histories and even health conditions of thousands of people in the UK.
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