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UK Biobank health data listed for sale in China, government confirms
TL;DR
The UK government confirmed that health data from 500,000 UK Biobank members was listed for sale online in China. The data breach was reported by the charity running UK Biobank, but personal identifiers were not included.
Key points
- Health data of 500,000 UK Biobank members listed for sale
- Data breach confirmed by UK government
- No personal identifiers included in the leaked data
- Alibaba website was the platform where data was found
- UK Biobank aids in disease detection and treatment
Mentioned in this story
UK BiobankAlibabaIan Murray
The health information of 500,000 members of the UK's health data project, UK Biobank, were offered for sale online in China, the government has confirmed.
Technology minister Ian Murray said information of all members of the database was found listed for sale on the website Alibaba.
Murray told MPs the charity which runs UK Biobank had told the government about the data breach on Monday. He said the information did not include names, addresses, contact details or telephone numbers.
Alibaba has been contacted for comment.
The Biobank is a collection of data which has been used to help improvements in detection and treatment of dementia, some cancers and Parkinson's.
UK Biobank said it was investigating the incident and thanked the UK and Chinese government, as well as Alibaba, for support and cooperation.
"We understand that the existence of these listings, even temporarily, will be concerning to you," Chief Executive Professor Sir Rory Collins said in a message to participants.
"We want to reassure you that all the data are de-identified; they do not contain any personally identifying information (such as names, addresses, dates of birth, and NHS numbers)."
Murray added the government has been told no purchases were made from the three listings on the website.
He said the listings have since been taken down and also thanked the Chinese government for their cooperation.
He said: "The UK Biobank charity informed the government that it had identified that a data had been advertised for sale by several sellers on Alibaba e-commerce platforms in China."
An Information Commissioner's Office spokesperson said: "People's medical data is highly sensitive information, not only do people expect it to be handled carefully and securely, organisations also have a responsibility under the law.
"UK Biobank has made us aware of an incident and we are making enquiries."
Additional reporting by Liv McMahon.
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Q&A
What health data from the UK Biobank was sold in China?
Health information of 500,000 UK Biobank members was offered for sale, but it did not include personal identifiers like names or contact details.
How did the UK government respond to the UK Biobank data breach?
Technology minister Ian Murray confirmed the breach and stated that the charity running UK Biobank reported it to the government.
What is the significance of the UK Biobank data?
The UK Biobank data is crucial for research and improvements in the detection and treatment of diseases like dementia, certain cancers, and Parkinson's.
