23andMe Data Breach: UK Fine & 2023 Hack Details
23andMe faces a hefty £2.31 million fine for a 2023 data breach, impacting over 155,000 UK residents. The Data commissioner’s Office (ICO) cited inadequate security measures, specifically a lack of multi-factor authentication, as a critical failure in protecting user data in the data breach. Over 6.9 million users’ private information was compromised due to this incident. The company failed to secure users seeking to download raw genetic data, leading to the cyberattack exploiting stolen credentials that persisted for months. News Directory 3 closely follows these developments, as the ICO monitors 23andMe’s compliance adn the outcome of a sale hearing. Discover what’s next for 23andMe users and data protection.
23andMe Faces £2.31M Fine Over Data Breach Impacting UK Residents
Updated june 17, 2025
The U.K.’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has levied a £2.31 million ($3.1 million) fine against 23andMe, the genetic testing company, for failing to adequately protect the personal adn genetic information of U.K. residents. The fine stems from a significant data breach in 2023.
The ICO stated the company did not implement sufficient verification measures for users accessing and downloading their raw genetic data at the time of the cyberattack. This lack of security played a key role in the breach.
The 2023 cyberattack compromised the private data of more than 6.9 million users through a months-long campaign that exploited stolen credentials. The ICO emphasized that 23andMe’s failure to require multi-factor authentication violated U.K. data protection law, increasing the company’s role in the data breach.
The breach resulted in the theft of data belonging to over 155,000 U.K. residents, according to the ICO.
23andMe has as implemented mandatory multi-factor authentication for all accounts.
The ICO is currently in communication with 23andMe’s trustee following the company’s recent bankruptcy protection filing. A hearing regarding the potential sale of 23andMe is scheduled for later today.
What’s next
The ICO will continue to monitor 23andMe’s compliance with data protection laws, particularly regarding the security of user data and the implementation of robust authentication measures. The outcome of the sale hearing could also impact the future of data protection for 23andMe users.