Washington AG reaches settlement with genetic testing company

The lawsuit alleges the company failed to protect customer's data, impacting almost 7 million people across the country and over 200,000 Washingtonians.

Associated PressA 23andMe saliva collection kit is shown on March 25, 2025, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Barbara Ortutay, File)

OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A bankrupt genetic testing website now has to pay up for a massive data breach.

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown announced Tuesday, July 14 a settlement with the bankruptcy trustee of 23andMe over a breach in genetic data from 2023.

The lawsuit alleges the company failed to protect customer’s data, impacting almost 7 million people across the country and over 200,000 Washingtonians.

The AG said the breach exposed the data of 23andMe customers including ancestry information that was then sold on the dark web.

The company initially blamed customers for the breach, saying they improperly set up their accounts and passwords. But a multistate investigation found 23andMe failed to employ safeguards, did not properly monitor for data breaches, and did not properly investigate login patterns.

The states involved in the settlement will get $18 million in total, with $547,000 coming to the Evergreen State to help enforce consumer protection laws.