California Sues Former 23andMe Over 2023 Ancestry And Genetic Data Breach

CBS Bay Area

May 29, 2026

California is suing the consumer genetics company formerly known as 23andMe over its 2023 breach of ancestry and genetic data, one of the most consequential data breaches ever.

Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the lawsuit on Thursday against San Francisco-based Chrome Holding Co. for failing to protect customers' sensitive personal information, including health data, genetic risk factors, biological relatives, ancestry, and ethnicity.

In October 2023, 23andMe disclosed a security incident that the company originally said affected only about 14,000 accounts at the time. However, through the company's opt-in DNA Relatives feature, hackers were able to scrape the profiles of nearly seven million people connected to the breached accounts, including about 855,000 Californians.

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