UK Biobank Data Listed for Sale on Alibaba

The British government announced Thursday that de-identified medical data from 500,000 volunteers in the UK Biobank health study had been listed for sale on the Chinese e-commerce platform Alibaba. The incident, which came to light last week, involved genetic sequences, blood samples, medical scans, and lifestyle information downloaded legitimately by three research institutions but subsequently offered online without authorization.

Science and technology minister Ian Murray informed lawmakers in the House of Commons that the UK Biobank charity notified the government on Monday of three separate listings on Alibaba, with at least one appearing to contain data from the entire cohort of volunteers. The data did not include names, addresses, contact details, or NHS numbers, but encompassed details such as gender, age, month and year of birth, socioeconomic status, and lifestyle habits. Murray emphasized that the breach was not a hack or leak, but an abuse by accredited organizations that had signed legal contracts to maintain security.

In response, the government collaborated with the Chinese authorities and Alibaba to remove the listings swiftly, confirming no purchases had...