Ninth Circuit Affirms Class Certification Denial In Genetic Information Privacy Case

In a decision that may give genetic testing companies reason to breathe a sigh of relief, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed on August 21 the denial of a class certification bid by consumers suing under Alaska's Genetic Privacy Act (the Act). In Cole v. Gene by Gene, Ltd., Plaintiff sought to represent a class of individuals alleging that Gene by Gene, Ltd. (Gene by Gene) violated Alaska Stat. Ann. § 18.13.010(a)(1) by disclosing customer DNA results and information without informed, written consent. According to the Ninth Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska did not abuse its discretion in finding that Plaintiff failed to show that common questions predominated over any questions affecting only individual members of the proposed classes, and that a class action was not superior to other methods of resolution. Thus, Plaintiff could not satisfy Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(b), and the litigation was not suitable for class treatment.