Genetic testing company 23andMe is close to settling a class action lawsuit against it over a data leak that compromised 6.9 million users. This is reported by Engadget.

The company agreed to pay $30 million to affected customers and to conduct annual computer scans and cybersecurity audits for three years.

A website will be set up to notify people who are eligible to receive a portion of the settlement fund and instruct them on how to receive the payment. Victims will also be sent a link where they can delete all their information from the service. They will also be able to enroll in the three-year Privacy & Medical Shield + Genetic Monitoring program for free.

In the text of the proposed settlement agreement, 23andMe stated that it “denies the claims and allegations set forth in the lawsuit” and “denies that it failed to adequately protect the personal data of its consumers and users”. The proposed compensation has yet to be approved by a judge.

In October 2023, the company admitted that it had leaked information about the profiles of approximately 5.5 million DNA Relatives customers and 1.4 million Family Tree program participants.

The breach led to several class action lawsuits being filed against the company. Later, during the trial, the company reported that the attackers began hacking into customer accounts in late April 2023 and that they had access to its systems until September of that year.