Are you entitled to up to $10,000 in compensation as part of the 23andMe data breach settlement?

Last month, 23andMe confirmed it would settle a class-action lawsuit for $30 million accusing the company of failing to adequately protect its users after a data breach exposed the personal information of about half of its user base and led to growing distrust of the popular ancestry service. . However, if you have ever done business with the company, you may be wondering if you are eligible for a payout.

The San Francisco-based company, which allows users to submit genetic materials and receive snapshots of their ancestry, announced In October 2023, hackers gained access to customer information in a data breach, but the company did not confirm the full extent of the incident until December. About half of the company’s 14 million users saw their personal information exposed in a breach that first began in April 2023.

The lawsuit, accusing the company of not doing enough to protect its customers, was filed in January of this year. The lawsuit also accuses 23andMe of failing to notify some Chinese or Ashkenazi Jewish customers that their data was being specifically targeted and shared on the dark web.

As part of the proposed settlement, which still requires pre-approval from the court, the company will provide eligible customers with up to $10,000, depending on their hardships, as well as various security services. After this test, independent directors the company’s board resignedand concerns about 23andMe’s ability to store people’s personal data became a popular topic.

“We have entered into a settlement agreement for an aggregate cash payment of $30 million to resolve all U.S. claims related to the credential stuffing incident in 2023,” a 23andMe spokesperson told CNET. “We continue to believe this agreement is in the best interests of 23andMe customers and look forward to completing the agreement.”

Here’s what we know about the terms of the 23andMe data settlement and what standards you’ll need to meet to get some money out of it. For more information on recent calculations, read about how you can get money from CashApp And Who is entitled to real estate agent fees?.

How many people were affected by the 23andMe data breach?

The settlement will cover the approximately 6.9 million 23andMe users whose data was leaked. To qualify for the proposed settlement, 23andMe users must also be U.S. residents as of August 11, 2023.

That 6.9 million figure includes about 5.5 million users of 23andMe’s DNA Relatives profiles, which allow users to find and connect with genetic relatives. The remaining 1.4 million people affected by the hack used another service known as Family Tree, which predicts family trees based on the DNA users share with relatives, 23andMe said.

How much money could you receive as part of a settlement?

Ultimately, 23andMe said it would pay up to $10,000 in “Extraordinary Claims” to users who can prove they suffered hardship as a direct result of their information being stolen in a data breach that resulted in unreimbursed costs. This includes expenses resulting from “identity fraud or falsified tax returns,” the purchase of physical security systems, or mental health treatment.

Residents of Alaska, California, Illinois and Oregon who were harmed by the violation may also be able to apply for payment as part of the proposed settlement, as these states have genetic privacy laws with provisions for damages. Payments to those individuals are expected to be about $100, depending on how many people apply for them, the settlement document said.

Additionally, a smaller group of affected users whose personal health information was affected by the breach will be able to apply for a $100 payment.

Infographic credit: Gianmarco Chumbe/CNET; Background image: Jason Doey/Getty Images

Will the settlement include anything else?

In addition to these payments, 23andMe will also offer affected users a three-year security monitoring service called Privacy Shield, which the documents describe as providing “substantial network and darknet monitoring.”

Can you apply for settlement yet?

There is currently no way to apply for payment under the proposed settlement. CNET will provide updates on this aspect of the story as it becomes available.