Genetic testing company 23andMe, which is the subject of a proposed class-action lawsuit in Canada, says a data breach may have affected millions more customers than initially believed.
A statement from the company on Tuesday said hackers have gained access to roughly 6.9 million profiles on the site — nearly half its client base. Those profiles contain delicate personal data ranging from birth year, geographic location, health information and the percentage of DNA users share with their relatives.
Some clients found out about the breach through an email in early October, when the company initially said the hack affected a fraction of its users. One of