California Attorney General Rob Bonta has secured a $6 million settlement with Chrome Holding Co., the company formerly known as 23andMe, over a 2023 data breach that affected nearly 7 million customers nationwide. More than 855,000 of them live in California, according to the attorney general's office. The agreement was filed Oct. 19 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and is pending court approval.
For former customers, the settlement cannot undo what was exposed three years ago. Its most practical message is a reminder: Customers can still delete their genetic data, have their saliva sample destroyed, and withdraw their research consent, no matter which organization now holds the records.
