Millions of Americans are waiting for their share of the money from the $30 million settlement of the 23andMe data breach. However, what most people fail to see? Not everybody who believes that they are eligible will end up receiving money.
While the papers talk about the money–some claims are even as high as $10,000 — the small print reveals that most users will be removed from the list if they violate it only once.
Then, who actually risks losing out the most?
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You may have used 23andMe’s services before. There is the possibility that you have received some sort of correspondence. Even that does not automatically mean that you will get paid.
The first trigger point? Having been a 23andMe user from May 1 to October 1, 2023. In case you had subscribed even a single day before or after that, you are likely to be ineligible.
Also, the company insists that you were a US resident until at least August 11, 2023. If at any time during that period you left the country, even if only for a while, your claim will be thrown out.
No Notice, No Payout
Even if you were the victim of hacking, 23andMe made an official notification to you that your data had been stolen you are eligible for a claim. Many users suffer from indirect exposure to the data, e.g., through a common DNA relative or family trees, but those secondary users are not to be qualified unless they have been informed directly.
Therefore, if you are not sure whether your inbox received the announcement, then maybe you are already out of the game.
You’ll Need Proof of Harm — or Get Less
This is the part that things get lectured further. To score the highest compensation rate, such as the $10,000 level, you have to be able to demonstrate that you had suffered financial or emotional damage due to the breach.
Examples include:
- Paying for credit monitoring or identity theft services
- Filing police reports
- Missing work due to dealing with fraud
- Seeking therapy or mental health treatment
- Being a victim of targeted scams
Should you be unable to give any proofs or receipts, the compensation you get will be significantly lower and in general, it will not exceed a few hundred dollars.
On the other hand, in case of no breach of your data, you might not even be considered at all.
Don’t Make It in Time and You Will Receive Nothing
If the final date to submit a claim in compliance with your issue is July 14, 2025, and you delay the submission, there will be no chance to receive the compensation ever.
Further, all forms that are not in good shape, miss some information, or lack documents, the claim administrator can return it as not valid—consequently, you lose your right.
Users With Deleted Accounts but Still on the Hook
Many past clients closed their accounts on the 23andMe platform a long time ago. Due to the technicality of the system, the data may have been taken away but the breach incident remains. Nevertheless, unless direct messages were conveyed to those users or they can prove an interconnection between their accounts and the hacked ones, they are not qualified for the case.
This case appears to be a great one, which it is for some. However, there are those who will not get anything due to forgetting the deadline, not being affected, or not getting the alert.
If you are not certain of your eligibility, you should check it immediately. Forget about ignoring those small details from the cluster of documents you will have to gather in the next few weeks.
It seems that you are the first person to know about the case, but it doesn’t prove that it will be you who will receive the payment.
