A class action lawsuit has been filed against a genetic testing company, accusing it of violating privacy laws by sharing sensitive genetic information with third parties without consent. The complaint was lodged by Karen Carter, Melissa Porter, Tracey Coleman, and Aleema Hawks in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on January 8, 2025, targeting MyHeritage (USA), Inc.
The plaintiffs allege that MyHeritage collected and transmitted personally identifiable information from its customers to third parties like Google through online tracking tools. This included data about whether individuals had undergone genetic testing and their results. Such actions allegedly violated the Illinois Genetic Information Privacy Act (GIPA), which mandates that genetic information is confidential and can only be shared with explicit consent from the individual tested. The plaintiffs argue that MyHeritage's practices breached customer expectations of privacy and contradicted its own privacy policy, which claimed it would never sell or license genetic data.
According to the complaint, MyHeritage installed Google's tracking tools on its website, enabling the collection of sensitive user data. These tools allegedly allowed Google to link this data to individual users' identities through cookies associated with their Google accounts. As a result, users began receiving targeted advertisements related to genetic testing products shortly after accessing their test results on MyHeritage's website. The plaintiffs assert that they never authorized such disclosures and were unaware of these practices due to misleading statements in MyHeritage's privacy policy.
The plaintiffs are seeking an injunction to stop MyHeritage from continuing these activities and statutory damages for each violation of GIPA. They also request reasonable attorneys' fees and other litigation expenses. The case underscores ongoing concerns about consumer privacy in the digital age, particularly regarding sensitive health-related information.
Representing the plaintiffs are attorneys whose names have not been disclosed in the document provided. The case is being overseen by judges at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois under Case ID 1:25-cv-00224.