Settlement approved for Canadians affected by past 23andMe data breach

A multimillion-dollar settlement has been approved in a class action claim involving Canadian customers of the 23andMe genetic testing company who were affected by a past data breach.

The settlement will provide $3.25 million US for Canada-based victims of the breach, which saw hackers gain access to customers’ data — including people in Canada — in 2023.

Sage Nematollahi, a lawyer with Toronto-based KND Complex Litigation who served as class counsel, said via email that this outcome amounted to “an excellent result for the affected Canadian customers.”

The U.S.-based 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last year. The company said it intended to use bankruptcy proceedings to help resolve remaining liabilities from the 2023 data breach.

A non-profit, TTAM Research Institute, later acquired 23andMe’s assets, for $305 million US, according to The Associated Press.

Nematollahi said the settlement is believed to be precedent setting, as “to our knowledge this is the first time a Canadian class action claim has been settled within a Chapter 11 insolvency proceeding.”

The proceeds of the settlement are available to any person who was a 23andMe customer at any point from May 1, 2023 through Oct. 1, 2023, and who resided in Canada at the time of the breach and received notice that they were affected, and who also did not opt out of the settlement.

Any victim wishing to submit a claim for compensation must do so by 11:59 p.m. PT on June 25, 2026.

Instructions on how to submit a claim form are available on the Canadian settlement website.