DNA testing firm 23andMe fined £2.3m by UK regulator for 2023 data hack

Information stolen from US company included details of 150,000 British residents including family trees

The genetic testing company 23andMe has been fined more than 2.3m for failing to protect the personal information of more than 150,000 UK residents after a large-scale cyberattack in 2023.

Family trees, health reports, names and postcodes were among the sensitive data hacked from the California-based company. It only confirmed the breach months after the infiltration started and once an employee saw the stolen data advertised for sale on the social media platform Reddit, according to the UK Information Commissioner's Office - which levied the fine.