The corporate stated it had reported the matter to regulation enforcement and that this was the primary incident of its sort on the agency.
The info doesn’t embrace genomic particulars, that are especially sensitive, however does embrace usernames, regional places, profile pictures, and delivery years. The usernames are sometimes one thing apart from full authorized names.
23andMe stated it was encouraging customers to alter their passwords and use two-factor authentication to stop others from logging in beneath their identify.
On-line posts providing the information on the market in underground boards stated patrons might purchase 100 profiles for $1,000 or as many as 100,000 for $100,000. One publish stated the individual had uploaded a big database of Ashkenazi Jews. The corporate spokeswoman stated that would come with individuals with even 1% Jewish ancestry.
A number of the posts used the deal with “Golem,” a reference to a humanoid beast in Jewish people tales.
The info taken from 23andMe might cowl greater than half of the corporate’s 14 million prospects, based mostly on the variety of individuals who’ve opted to make their information seen to relations, together with distant cousins.
Whereas the reference to Jews may need been designed to attract consideration and enhance the percentages of transactions, it comes throughout a time of elevated rhetorical and bodily assaults on Jews in the US. Antisemitism has gotten extra traction up to now 12 months on social networks for conspiracy theories that blame Jews for unlawful immigration, media manipulation or monetary misdeeds.
