A substantial settlement has been given the green light in a lawsuit involving Canadian customers of the genetic testing company 23andMe who were impacted by a previous data breach. The approved settlement will allocate $3.25 million USD for individuals in Canada affected by the breach, where hackers gained unauthorized access to customer data in 2023.
Sage Nematollahi, a lawyer at Toronto’s KND Complex Litigation acting as class counsel, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating that it is a positive result for the impacted Canadian customers. Last year, the U.S.-based 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to address outstanding liabilities stemming from the 2023 data breach.
Following the bankruptcy filing, the non-profit organization TTAM Research Institute acquired 23andMe’s assets for $305 million USD. Nematollahi highlighted that this settlement is believed to set a precedent, as it is reportedly the first time a Canadian class action claim has been resolved within a Chapter 11 insolvency proceeding.
The settlement funds are accessible to any individual who was a 23andMe customer between May 1, 2023, and October 1, 2023, resided in Canada during the breach, received notification of being affected, and did not opt out of the settlement. Victims seeking compensation must submit a claim by June 25, 2026, before 11:59 p.m. PT. Detailed instructions on how to file a claim form can be found on the Canadian settlement website.