UK Biobank data surfaces for sale on Alibaba in China
Around 500,000 UK Biobank participants’ health data were reportedly listed for sale on Alibaba in China. The data were described as de-identified and not containing names or contact details, though they could include age, birth month/year, gender, socioeconomic status, lifestyle factors, and biological measurements. UK Biobank and the government are investigating; access to the data is being restricted and a board-led forensic review is planned. No purchases have been confirmed, but the incident raises concerns about data infrastructure and participant trust in large health-data projects.