WashU Law announces that Koch Distinguished Professor in Law Neil Richards has been appointed as the consumer privacy ombudsman assisting the U.S. Trustee and Bankruptcy Court in assessing the consumer genetic testing company 23andMe’s privacy practices and their implications for any potential sale during its bankruptcy proceedings.
The appointment comes after 23andMe’s bankruptcy filing in St. Louis federal bankruptcy court in March 2025, which followed a significant data breach that compromised the personal information of approximately 7 million 23andMe customers. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Brian Walsh approved the appointment of an independent ombudsman to help review the privacy practices of the company and any approved buyer of the company or its assets through the bankruptcy proceeding.
Professor Richards is one of the world’s leading experts in privacy and information law. He co-directs the Cordell Institute for Policy in Medicine & Law and has authored influential works such as the books Why Privacy Matters and Intellectual Privacy. In his role as consumer privacy ombudsman in the weeks to come, Richards will examine 23andMe’s privacy and data security measures, and recommend any necessary changes to mitigate consumer harm.
Media coverage: CBS News, The Washington Post, The Associated Press, Bloomberg Law
