23andMe's Data Breach Settlement Could Net You Free Money: Here's How

CNET

10 hours ago

Hackers used a credential stuffing attack to gain access to 23andMe accounts in October 2023.
Getty Images/Viva Tung/CNET
Ever used 23andMe? If you have, you might be able to get paid as part of the company's ongoing class-action settlement, but you'll have to move quickly, since it closes in less than two weeks.
It's been a tough few years for the once-popular ancestry-tracking service, which was struck by a prolonged data breach that allowed hackers to gain personal data for about half of the company's 14 million customers in 2023. The company has struggled ever since then, and filed for bankruptcy in March 2025. It is now being acquired by TTAM Research Institute, a nonprofit led by 23andMe co-founder Anne Wojcicki, which outbid Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.
The San Francisco-based company, which allows people to submit genetic materials and get a snapshot of their ancestry, announced in October 2023 that hackers had accessed customer information in a data breach. A January 2024 lawsuit accused the company of not doing enough to protect its customers and not notifying certain customers with Chinese or Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry that their data had been targeted specifically. It later settled the lawsuit for $30 million.
"We have executed a settlement agreement for an aggregate cash payment of $30 million to settle all US claims regarding the 2023 credential stuffing security incident," a 23andMe spokesman told CNET. "We continue to believe this settlement is in the best interest of 23andMe customers, and we look forward to finalizing the agreement."
A few months after that decision, there's now an official method available to make a claim and potentially get paid by 23andMe, in some cases as much as $10,000. Keep reading to get all the details you need, and for more, find out why T-Mobile settlement checks have been delayed and discover whether you can claim a piece of Apple's Siri privacy settlement.
How many people did the 23andMe data breach hit?
The settlement could cover roughly 6.9 million 23andMe customers whose data was targeted. To qualify, 23andMe customers must also have been US residents as of Aug. 11, 2023. That 6.9 million number includes around 5.5 million customers of 23andMe's DNA Relatives profiles, which lets people find and connect with genetic relatives. The other 1.4 million people affected by the breach used another service known as Family Tree, which predicts a family tree based on the DNA users share with relatives, 23andMe said.
How much money could I get from the settlement?
At the top end, 23andMe has said it would pay out up to $10,000 with an "Extraordinary Claim" to each customer who can verify that they suffered hardships as a direct result of their information being stolen in the data breach that resulted in unreimbursed costs. This includes costs from "identity fraud or falsified tax returns," acquiring physical security systems, or receiving mental health treatment.
Residents of Alaska, California, Illinois and Oregon who were affected by the data breach can also apply for a payment as part of the proposed settlement, since those states have genetic privacy laws with damages provisions. The payments for these individuals are expected to be around $100, depending on how many people file for them, a settlement document said. Also, a smaller subset of affected users whose personal health information was impacted by the breach will be able to apply for a payment of $100.
Infographic: Gianmarco Chumbe/CNET. Photo:Will the 23andMe settlement include anything else?
Beyond those payments, 23andMe will also offer impacted users three years of a security monitoring service called Privacy Shield, which filings described as providing "substantial web and dark web monitoring."
How can I file a claim for the 23andMe settlement?
To file a claim electronically, you can use this official online portal from the Kroll Restructuring Administration. An additional online form is available if you would like proof of your claim sent to you. Potential claimants can also download and print out hard copies of the claim form and proof of claim form if they wish to submit them by mail. If you plan to use this method, send your forms to one of the addresses listed on the claims website. The deadline to make a claim is July 14. For more, you can read about how class action lawsuits work.