By Jonathan Stempel

July 7 (Reuters) - A U.S. bankruptcy judge on Tuesday approved a $46.75 million settlement for victims of a 2023 ‌data breach at the genetic testing company 23andMe, which ‌exposed genetic and other personal information of an estimated 6.9 million customers.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge ​Brian Walsh in St. Louis said the settlement was fair and equitable, and in the best interest of a trust overseen by the company's bankruptcy administrator.

The settlement will be reduced by $14.29 million previously disbursed in connection ‌with the breach, making ⁠the total additional payout $32.46 million.

• Based in Palo Alto, California, 23andMe filed for protection from creditors in March ⁠2025.

• It cited the data breach, related litigation, and both increased competition and falling demand for genetic testing products as reasons for its ​Chapter 11 ​filing.

• Last July, TTAM Research Institute, ​a nonprofit controlled by 23andMe ‌co-founder Anne Wojcicki, bought 23andMe's assets for $305 million.

• California Attorney General Rob Bonta is also suing over the breach, accusing 23andMe of ignoring warnings that its systems were compromised and downplaying the breach's severity.

• Bonta is seeking potentially millions of dollars in civil fines against Chrome Holding ‌Co, the legal name of 23andMe, in ​San Francisco Superior Court.

• Walsh has ​yet to rule on the ​bankruptcy administrator's motion to block California's lawsuit.

• In ‌a June 6 filing, Bonta said ​the U.S. Congress ​did not give bankruptcy judges power to deprive state courts of jurisdiction over state law-based enforcement actions, and allow bankruptcy courts ​to become "a haven for ‌wrongdoers."

• Bonta's office did not immediately respond to requests for ​additional comment.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York, Editing ​by Franklin Paul and Nia Williams)