Lack of appropriate safeguards led to 23andMe data breach, joint investigation finds
Jun 17, 2025 | 8:09 AM
OTTAWA — Canada’s privacy watchdog says inadequate security measures opened the door to a data breach discovered two years ago at genetic testing company 23andMe.
Privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne and U.K. information commissioner John Edwards released the findings from their joint investigation of the breach, which affected almost seven million people, including nearly 320,000 in Canada.
Dufresne told a news conference today the breach serves as a cautionary tale for all organizations about the importance of data protection in an era of growing cyberthreats.
He says strong protection must be a priority for organizations, especially those holding sensitive personal information.
