A significant settlement has been greenlit in a collective lawsuit involving Canadian clients of the genetic testing company 23andMe who were impacted by a previous data breach. The approved settlement, totaling $3.25 million US, is designated for individuals in Canada affected by the breach where hackers accessed customers’ data, including those in Canada, in 2023.
Sage Nematollahi, an attorney at Toronto’s KND Complex Litigation and class counsel, described the outcome as a favorable result for the affected Canadian clients. The U.S.-based 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last year, aiming to use the bankruptcy process to address outstanding liabilities from the 2023 data breach.
Following this, the non-profit TTAM Research Institute acquired 23andMe’s assets for $305 million US. This acquisition was reported by The Associated Press. Nematollahi highlighted the significance of the settlement, noting that this was the first time a Canadian class action claim had been resolved during a Chapter 11 insolvency process.
The settlement funds are accessible to any individual who was a 23andMe customer between May 1, 2023, and October 1, 2023, residing in Canada at the time of the breach, receiving notification of being affected, and not opting out of the settlement. Victims eligible for compensation must file a claim by June 25, 2026, 11:59 p.m. PT. Detailed instructions on filing a claim form can be found on the Canadian settlement website.