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This week, California DOJ filed a lawsuit over the 23andMe genetic information breach. The suit, filed against Chrome Holding Co., formerly known as 23andMe, accuses the defendants of failing to take basic steps to protect users’ data and then lying about the severity of its 2023 data breach that affected nearly 900,000 Californians.
Reasonable data security is not a suggestion — it’s the law. California stands up against corporations that play fast and loose with our data.
23andMe’s data breach and the company’s handling of it was entirely unacceptable. Consumers deserve to know that when they share their data with a company, it is secure and protected. When it’s not, consumers deserve accountability, which is why we’re taking the company to court. 23andMe may not have put consumers first, but California will.
In your service,
Rob
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Suing 23andMe Over 2023 Data Breach
 Founded in San Francisco, 23andMe was the first and one of the largest direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies in the world. Our investigation found that the company failed to take basic steps to protect users’ data, including the sensitive personal information, family histories, and health conditions of consumers. The sale of this data on the dark web took place amidst a period of mounting anti-Asian American and Pacific Islander and antisemitic hate and violence — and explicitly called attention to the deeply personal and identifying nature of that information. This is disturbing and incredibly dangerous. We are suing 23andMe for its categorical failure to comply with California law.
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Strengthening Election Safeguards
 Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill (SB) 73 this week, which takes effect immediately. California’s elections are already secure, and SB 73 introduces additional safeguards to enhance their integrity. I commend Governor Newsom and the Legislature for taking action that strengthens public confidence in our democratic process. Voting is the fundamental right from which all other rights flow, and we are making clear that election interference or intimidation has no place in our state. With less than a week until Election Day, I continue to encourage Californians to vote early through in-person voting or by dropping off their completed ballots at a ballot drop box or vote center.
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Seeking Justice for Grieving Families
 This month, as we recognize both National Missing Children’s Day and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day, we’re reminded that awareness and collective action can create safer communities. At a press conference in Sacramento, I highlighted the first California DOJ-sponsored Find CA Missing event, which is aimed at elevating the state’s response to missing persons cases. The upcoming event on Saturday, June 6, is designed to raise awareness for all state missing person cases while providing families with an in-person opportunity to connect with support organizations and augment or file missing persons reports. Behind every missing person is a family and loved one waiting for answers, and just one updated detail could be the missing piece that brings resolution.
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Holding Predatory Real Estate Company Accountable
 This week, we also secured a settlement holding Florida-based MV Realty, its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and its Chief Operating Officer (COO) accountable for operating a predatory scheme that provided immediate cash payments to financially vulnerable homeowners in exchange for the exclusive right to be their listing agent if they ever sold their homes in the next 40 years. The company misled consumers about the terms of these homeowner agreements and deceptively recorded liens on their homes, which prevented homeowners and their successors from transferring their home unless they paid MV Realty tens of thousands of dollars in so-called “early termination fees.” At a time when Californians are facing an affordability crisis, exploitation like this only adds pressure on households struggling to make ends meet — and it is unacceptable.
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Making Your Life Affordable
 From groceries to gas, costs seem to be rising and rising ... and rising. California DOJ has your back and is committed to protecting California families grappling with the high cost of living. In this segment, find some of the ways California DOJ is protecting Californians — and their wallets.
What We Did: This week, my office sent a letter to the Trump Administration asking it to withdraw its proposed rule which would put the retirement savings of millions of Americans at risk. The proposed rule would harm workers and retirees by increasing their exposure to risky, volatile assets, such as cryptocurrency and private credit, which are often less understood by investors and could result in catastrophic financial losses.
What This Means to You: Hardworking Americans deserve to retire with dignity and — especially amid a crisis of affordability — deserve to retire with enough money in their pocket to make ends meet. This new proposed rule by the Trump Administration would expose American workers and retirees to risky investments that could leave them penniless at precisely the moment when they deserve to enjoy a peaceful retirement. I urge the federal government to keep common sense standards in place that protect American workers and retirees.
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Keeping You Safe
 California has led the nation in confronting the growing dangers young people face online, from addictive platform designs to emerging AI technologies that threaten children’s mental health, safety, and wellbeing. This week, I joined a bipartisan coalition of 44 attorneys general in sending a letter to Congress opposing the passage of the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act). The KIDS Act would broadly preempt state laws governing major online safety and technology issues — including online obscenity and regulation of artificial intelligence chatbots — while replacing them with ineffective federal standards.
We welcome congressional efforts to address these serious issues, but any federal action should build upon the progress states like California have already made and ensure that children, not corporate interests, remain the priority.
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CARE Corner
 Our Office of Community Awareness, Response, and Engagement (CARE) invites you to join a virtual presentation, Demystifying the Department of Justice: Bureau of Criminal Information and Analysis (BCIA), on Thursday, June 18, from 10:00 – 11:00 AM PT. BCIA’s mission is to maintain accurate criminal history and biometric data and provide it to individuals and organizations to support criminal justice, regulatory, and public policy responsibilities.
This presentation will include an overview of BCIA’s responsibilities and services that help ensure public safety. It will explain how criminal history information is compiled and disseminated, BCIA’s role in conducting background checks for applicant agencies, and how to challenge information on your criminal history record.
All are encouraged to register for this presentation to learn more about the BCIA and the critical work they do to protect Californians. To register, click on the button below.
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FLASH BRIEFING
Attorney General Bonta Supports FTC and U.S. DOJ Efforts to Strengthen Merger Review for Healthcare and Other Acquisitions
Unlawful, Unconstitutional, and Undemocratic: Attorney General Bonta Stands with D.C. Residents Who Want National Guard Troops Off Their Streets
Attorney General Bonta Celebrates U.S. Supreme Court Decision Upholding Workers’ Rights
Attorney General Bonta Calls Out Trump Administration’s Breach of its Agreement Not to Restrict Access to Affordable Housing During Ongoing Litigation
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Video of the Week
Your vote is your voice. Don’t let anyone silence it. Election Day is this coming Tuesday, June 2.
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Make a Difference at California DOJ
 Apply today to help California DOJ protect the health, well-being, and public safety of Californians. Check out our featured jobs below and visit oag.ca.gov/careers for a full listing of available positions:
Deputy Attorney General III, Cannabis Control Section
Deputy Attorney General IV, DMFEA Facilities Enforcement Team
Deputy Attorney General Supervisor, Opinion Unit
Deputy Attorney General IV, Antitrust Law
Deputy Attorney General III, Tort & Condemnation
POD Coordinator, Legal Support Operations
Licensing Analyst, Bureau of Gambling Control
Health Benefits Consultant, Office of Human Resources
Information Technology Associate, Technical Assistance Center
Investigative Auditor IV Supervisor, Charitable Trusts Section
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