DATA BREACH - 23andMe Jewish & Chinese Consumers May be Affected
Rhea-AI Summary
23andMe (NASDAQ:ME) faced a significant data breach in December 2023, affecting approximately 7 million users of its genetic services website. A recently filed class complaint alleges that hackers specifically targeted the personal genetic information of Jewish and Chinese customers, compiling and selling this data on the dark web. The breach reportedly included a list of over 1 million Jewish customers and 350,000 Chinese customers. The lawsuit claims 23andMe has not fully informed affected customers about the extent of the breach or the targeted nature of the attack. The disclosure poses potential safety risks, particularly for Chinese citizens. Legal action is being pursued for affected individuals, especially those with Ashkenazi Jewish heritage or Chinese ancestry in specific states.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- Data breach affecting 7 million users
- Targeted attack on Jewish and Chinese customers' genetic information
- Personal data sold on the dark web
- Potential safety risks for affected customers
- Alleged failure to fully disclose breach details to customers
- Legal action and potential compensation claims against the company
News Market Reaction 1 Alert
On the day this news was published, ME declined 3.08%, reflecting a moderate negative market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 9, 2024 / 23andMe (NASDAQ:ME) was hacked in December 2023, affecting approximately 7 million users of its genetic services website. According to a recently filed class complaint, hackers who infiltrated 23andMe's system were after the personal information of Jewish and Chinese customers, but the company hid that detail when notifying affected customers.
The hackers specifically targeted the personal genetic information of Jewish and Chinese customers and compiled that data - including genetic heritage, names, and addresses - into lists that were then sold on the dark web, but 23andMe concealed both those revelations when it announced the extent of the breach in December 2023.
According to the lawsuit, the hacker leaked a list of over 1 million Jewish customers expressly in retribution for the Israel-Hamas war. The hacker was also more than happy to leak a list of 350,000 Chinese customers upon request from a user with the alias "Wuhan." These lists generated a huge amount of interest from hackers on the dark web from all over the world and were shared and reshared an untold number of times.
The disclosure of these lists threatens the safety of those customers, including from the Chinese government, which has a long history of tracking Chinese citizens.
According to the lawsuit, to this day, 23andMe has not informed the 7 million compromised customers that their personal genetic information was disclosed on the dark web, nor has it told its Jewish and Chinese customers that they were specifically targeted.
IF YOU ARE A VULNERABLE person whose personal genetic information identifies you as having Ashkenazi Jewish heritage or Chinese ancestry, and/or live in California, Illinois, Oregon, or Alaska, please contact us to review your rights and eligibility for compensation:
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:
According to a recently filed class action complaint, on Oct. 1, 2023, a hacker using the alias "Golem" leaked the 23andMe data of 1 million Ashkenazi Jews on Breach Forums, calling it "the most valuable data you'll ever see."
"Golem's explicit targeting of Jewish 23andMe users is further conveyed by his use of the character 'Gollum' from The Lord of the Rings - a creature driven by greed with ugly and outsized facial features - as his profile picture."
A few hours later, a user with the alias "Wuhan" asked Golem if he had "Chinese accounts," according to the complaint. The next day, Golem leaked the data of 7 million users, saying in the post that the customer information included phenotype and health information, photos, and identification data.
Golem listed prices for the customer profiles at
Interest in the leaked Jewish and Chinese information was immediate and overwhelming following an Israeli bombing of a Palestinian hospital.
23andMe attempted to shift the blame to customers, telling them the breach was a result of customers using recycled login credentials from their accounts on other websites. Further, 23andMe then waited until December to report that 7 million customers were directly affected by the breach and didn't say anything about the data being sold on the dark web or that Jewish and Chinese customers were specifically targeted.
Levi Korsinsky, LLP is investigating whether affected customers are entitled to compensation. If you have received a notice about the data breach, you may be entitled to compensation. There is no cost or obligation to participate. Follow the link below to find out more:
Levi & Korsinsky is a nationally recognized consumer advocacy law firm that has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars against large corporations. The firm's team of over 70 extraordinary attorneys and professionals have a winning track record going against the most powerful defense attorneys in the world and know how to maximize your compensation. The firm is a
CONTACT:
Levi & Korsinsky, LLP
Joseph E. Levi, Esq.
Ed Korsinsky, Esq.
33 Whitehall Street, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10004
jlevi@levikorsinsky.com
Tel: (212) 363-7500
Fax: (212) 363-7171
https://zlk.com/
SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP
View the original press release on accesswire.com
FAQ
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