A significant settlement has been given the green light in a class action lawsuit concerning Canadian clients of the genetic testing firm 23andMe who were impacted by a previous data breach. The approved settlement, totaling $3.25 million US, is designated to compensate individuals in Canada affected by the breach, where hackers gained unauthorized access to customer data, including Canadian residents, in 2023.
Sage Nematollahi, an attorney at Toronto’s KND Complex Litigation and class counsel, expressed satisfaction with the outcome for the impacted Canadian customers. Last year, the U.S.-based 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as part of its efforts to address remaining liabilities linked to the 2023 data breach.
Following the bankruptcy, non-profit organization TTAM Research Institute acquired 23andMe’s assets for $305 million US. Nematollahi noted that the settlement is considered groundbreaking, as it marks the first instance of a Canadian class action claim being 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, received notification of being affected, and did not opt out of the settlement. Those seeking compensation must submit a claim by June 25, 2026, 11:59 p.m. PT. Detailed guidelines for filing a claim form can be found on the Canadian settlement website.