The UK Biobank faces anotherdata privacy scareas the government confirmed on Thursday that confidential health records of 500,000 volunteers were found listed on Chinese website Alibaba, raising concerns and questions as to how important medical records are protected.
Technology MinisterIan Murraysaid the UK Biobank charity told the government that 'de-identified' data of participants 'had been advertised for sale by several sellers on Alibaba's e-commerce platforms in China', but assured that after cooperation with the Chinese government and Alibaba, the records had been removed and no sales of data were believed to be made.
Launched in 2003, the UK Biobank is one of the world's largest health research projects, holding biological and medical data from around 500,000 volunteers who agreed to support scientific studies.
Between 2006 and 2010, the project recruited 500,000 participants aged 40 to 69, where they consent to provide genetic data, clinical measurements, health information, biological samples and lifestyle data, and undergo regular follow-ups,The Guardianreported.
The UK Biobank is a key global resource for medical research. Scientists use it to study diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and dementia, and to understand how genetics and lifestyle affect long-term health.
Because of its importance, access is tightly controlled and only granted to approved researchers under strict conditions.
Murray said the leaked data was 'de-identified', meaning it did not include names and addresses, but it still contained detailed health information such as age and gender, birth period information, medical conditions and test results, genetic and biological data, lifestyle and environmental factors.
Experts warn that this type of information can sometimes be re-identified when combined with other datasets, especially at a large scale.
UK officials strongly condemned the incident, with Murray describing the situation as a serious breach of trust, calling it an 'unacceptable abuse'.
He further said that an investigation is underway to know what happened.
Source: International Business Times UK
