Following revelations of potential data breaches, twenty-seven US states and the District of Columbia have initiated legal proceedings against the genetic testing firm 23andMe, aiming to preempt the unauthorized commercialization of individuals' genetic data, a legal riposte precipitated by overtures from a financially motivated biotech conglomerate seeking to acquire the beleaguered company.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, in a press release, asserted that the implicated data, encompassing biological specimens, DNA profiles, salient health attributes, and exhaustive medical dossiers, should be considered inviolable and thus precluded from commercial dissemination absent the explicit and informed consent of each individual concerned.

Founded in 2006, 23andMe furnishes clients with saliva-based DNA testing kits, facilitating ancestral exploration and the identification of distant relatives; however, since its initial public offering in 2021, the company has struggled to establish a viable revenue model, culminating in the layoff of 40% of its workforce and the filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this past March.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, poised to acquire the company for $256 million, has pledged adherence to 23andMe's privacy policy and all relevant legal statutes, while an independent consumer privacy ombudsman is currently investigating the proposed acquisition and its potential ramifications for consumer privacy, ensuring meticulous scrutiny of all esoteric data protection protocols.