Health Records of 500,000 UK Biobank Volunteers Listed Online in China

Health data from 500,000 UK Biobank participants was found listed for sale online in China, raising concerns over research access misuse and data security.

Image: Biobank

The UK government has confirmed that sensitive information from the UK Biobank, one of the world’s most significant medical research projects, was discovered listed for sale on the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.

UK technology minister says data doesn’t include names or phone numbers

Technology Minister Ian Murray informed MPs that the data, which belongs to 500,000 participants, was flagged by the charity running the project this past Monday.

While the data did not include names or phone numbers , it offered a deep dive into the private lives of those involved, ranging from their DNA sequences to their socioeconomic status and lifestyle habits.

The UK Biobank is a treasure trove of health data used by scientists to hunt for cures for diseases like Parkinson’s…