New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with 27 other attorneys general, filed a lawsuit against 23andMe to prevent the auction of genetic data from 15 million customers without consent. The coalition argues that such sensitive information cannot be sold without express, informed consent and must adhere to state laws. The action seeks to protect consumer privacy and avert potential misuse or data breaches.
Entity
23andMe, Inc.
Also known as: 23andMe
Industry
HealthcareOfficial Press Release
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-sues-23andme-protect-new-yorkers-genetic-data
the state of arizona et al v 23andme inc complaint 2025
https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/court-filings/the-state-of-arizona-et-al-v-23andme-inc-complaint-2025.pdf
New York Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://ag.ny.gov/press-releases
Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson issued a letter to the U.S. Trustee overseeing the 23andMe bankruptcy proceeding, expressing concerns about the potential sale or transfer of consumers' personal genetic data. The letter underscores the importance of companies honoring their privacy promises to consumers, particularly regarding sensitive information, during bankruptcy proceedings.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, joined by 16 other states, sued the U.S. Department of Education over a new survey requiring colleges to submit extensive student data, arguing it violates the Administrative Procedure Act and threatens student privacy. The lawsuit seeks to block the mandate and prevent penalties for non-compliance.
New York Attorney General Letitia James sent a letter to Instacart demanding information about its algorithmic pricing practices after a study revealed significant price differences for the same products. The AG warns that Instacart may be violating the New York Algorithmic Pricing Disclosure Act by failing to clearly disclose the use of personal data for price setting.
$500K
New York Attorney General Letitia James secured a $500,000 settlement from OrthopedicsNY, LLP for failing to implement reasonable data security practices, which led to a cyber-attack stealing sensitive personal and health information of over 650,000 patients and employees. The settlement imposes penalties, requires funding for credit monitoring, and mandates enhanced security measures including multi-factor authentication and encryption.
$5.1M
Illuminate Education, Inc. experienced a data breach in 2022 that exposed personal information of millions of students due to inadequate security measures. A multistate investigation by New York, California, and Connecticut Attorneys General resulted in a $5.1 million settlement requiring Illuminate to enhance cybersecurity practices and pay penalties.
$60K
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a settlement with accounting firm Wojeski & Company for failing to secure customer data, resulting in two data breaches that exposed personal information of over 4,700 New Yorkers. The firm delayed breach notification for over a year and had unauthorized employee access to data, leading to a $60,000 penalty and mandatory cybersecurity improvements.