EXTRA CASH ACT FAST : Americans in line to get one-time payment from $30m data breach settlement after customers’ info were stolen by hackers
According to THE SUN, Customers of the genetics testing firm 23andMe may be eligible for a one-time cash payment from a $30 million settlement following a significant data breach. The breach compromised nearly seven million user accounts, exposing sensitive personal data.
Settlement Details
A class action lawsuit filed in San Francisco accused 23andMe of failing to adequately protect customer privacy and of not informing clients that certain ethnic groups, particularly those of Chinese and Ashkenazi Jewish descent, were more targeted by hackers. These hackers exploited old passwords to access around 14,000 profiles, which were then linked to millions more through ancestry tracing.
The breach, which lasted from April to September 2023, resulted in the leak of data from over four million people in the UK and approximately one million Ashkenazi Jews. The compromised information, including health reports and raw genotype data, was leaked on Reddit and BreachForums.
In response, 23andMe has agreed to enhance its cyber protections and conduct annual security checks but denies any wrongdoing. The settlement provides cash payments to those affected by the breach and offers enrollment in a three-year program called Privacy & Medical Shield + Genetic Monitoring.
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Current Status
The company has requested a pause in proceedings for tens of thousands of people involved in the suit, citing its “extremely uncertain financial condition.” It anticipates that around £25 million of the settlement will be covered by cyber insurance. The company’s stock has plummeted from $10 per share three years ago to less than $1 since mid-December.
The breach, which impacted nearly half of the 14.1 million customers in the firm’s database at the time, was disclosed in a blog post in October last year. Lawyers representing the affected individuals have stated that their main claims have been addressed by the settlement.
Deadlines and Future Actions
Details on how to file a claim or enroll in the Privacy & Medical Shield + Genetic Monitoring program will be provided once the settlement is approved. The company is continuing to work through the legal and financial challenges posed by the breach and its impact on customers.
