Massive 23andMe data breach focus of joint investigation by Canada and U.K.
Privacy Commissioner of Canada Philippe Dufresne leaves after a news conference at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang)
Canada and the U.K. are set to announce the results of a joint investigation into a global data breach at genetic testing company 23andMe.
Canada's privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne and U.K. information commissioner John Edwards are scheduled to reveal their findings at a news conference in Ottawa on Tuesday morning.
In September, 23andMe agreed to pay US$30 million to settle a lawsuit after hackers accessed the personal data of nearly seven million customers and posted their information for sale on the dark web. The 2023 attack appeared to specifically target customers with Chinese and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry.
The joint investigation by privacy authorities in Canada and the U.K. was launched in June 2024 to examine the scope of the breach and 23andMe's response.
'In the wrong hands, an individual's genetic information could be misused for surveillance or discrimination,' Dufresne said in a news release when the investigation was announced. 'Ensuring that personal information is adequately protected against attacks by malicious actors is an important focus for privacy authorities in Canada and around the world.'
23andMe filed for bankruptcy in March. On June 13, it was announced that a non-profit led by 23andMe co-founder Anne Wojcicki would purchase the troubled company for US$305 million.
Founded in 2006, 23andMe claims to have more than 15 million customers worldwide. The business was centred around at-home DNA testing kits that use saliva samples to provide genetic insights about health risks and ancestry. The California-based company went public in 2021, but never made a profit.
23andMe saliva collection kit
A 23andMe saliva collection kit is shown on March 25, 2025, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Barbara Ortutay)
With files from Reuters and CNN
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