New at for Iowa Attorney General Brennan Byrd has joined 40 other states in *** settlement with the bankruptcy trustee for 23andMe. The lawsuit stemmed from allegations that came from *** 2023 data breach that compromised genetic data for nearly 7 million customers. The AG’s office says $18 million will be paid out immediately, with Iowa set to receive *** settlement amount of nearly $430,000. Byrd claims that 23andMe failed to employ safeguards against blocked lists of known breached passwords.
Iowa to receive payout from 23andMe data breach settlement
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced a settlement was reached between the bankruptcy trustee for the company 23andMe and 42 attorneys general representing 41 states and Washington, D.C. after a 2023 data breach exposed the genetic data of 6.9 million customers worldwide. $18 million in settlement funds will be paid out of available bankruptcy funds immediately, of which the Iowa Attorney General’s office says the state will receive $429,767. The settlement comes after the bankruptcy court approved a $46.75 million class-action settlement to provide relief to impacted consumers nationwide and in Iowa who submitted claims by Feb. 17, 2026. “What should have been an enlightening experience turned into a nightmare when their sensitive genetic data was breached because of 23andMe’s severe lack of security and then their persistent lack of accountability,” Bird said in a news release. “This settlement is part of making sure this kind of breach will not happen again to Iowans.” A multistate investigation conducted after the data breach found that the genetic testing company engaged in unreasonable data security practices.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced a settlement was reached between the bankruptcy trustee for the company 23andMe and 42 attorneys general representing 41 states and Washington, D.C. after a 2023 data breach exposed the genetic data of 6.9 million customers worldwide. $18 million in settlement funds will be paid out of available bankruptcy funds immediately, of which the Iowa Attorney General’s office says the state will receive $429,767.
The settlement comes after the bankruptcy court approved a $46.75 million class-action settlement to provide relief to impacted consumers nationwide and in Iowa who submitted claims by Feb. 17, 2026.
“What should have been an enlightening experience turned into a nightmare when their sensitive genetic data was breached because of 23andMe’s severe lack of security and then their persistent lack of accountability,” Bird said in a news release. “This settlement is part of making sure this kind of breach will not happen again to Iowans.”
A multistate investigation conducted after the data breach found that the genetic testing company engaged in unreasonable data security practices.