(Ottawa) Canada’s privacy commissioner is joining forces with his British counterpart to investigate a data leak from genetic testing company 23andMe last year.
Philippe Dufresne’s office said the joint investigation with UK Information Commissioner John Edwards would aim to determine the extent of the October 2023 data breach at 23andMe.
Commissioners will also examine whether the company had appropriate security measures in place to protect the highly sensitive information it handled and whether it had properly informed people whose data was leaked.
Dufresne’s office says it will work closely with its counterparts in Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta to complete the Canadian portion of the investigation. He will not make further comments.
23andMe is best known for selling DNA testing kits. Customers receive a kit, then return it with a small saliva sample to discover genetic information about their health, ethnicity and biological interactions.
The company told media last December that around 6.9 million customers were affected by a data breach.
“In the wrong hands, an individual’s genetic information could be misused for surveillance or discrimination,” Dufresne said in a statement.
“Ensuring that personal information is adequately protected against attacks by malicious actors is an important priority for privacy authorities in Canada and around the world.”