The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) announced their investigation into the October 2023 event.
The American genetics startup 23andMe uses home saliva collection kits to analyze client DNA and provide information on things like heritage and health.
Since 2006, the company has sold over 12 million DNA testing kits, according to their website.
The data protection authorities from Canada and the UK said that they will pool their resources and experience to carry out the inquiry together.
It will look at the amount of data that was compromised and any possible harm to those who were impacted.
It will also be examined whether 23andMe adequately notified the two regulators and the impacted parties about the breach, as well as the effectiveness of its controls to protect the data under its control.
According to the ICO, 23andMe is the custodian of extremely sensitive personal data, including genetic data that is constant throughout time.
“It can provide details on a person’s health, ethnicity, and biological links, as well as information about them and their family members.
