UK Biobank data found for sale on Alibaba, prompting probe

Medical data belonging to 500,000 UK volunteers were reported for sale on Alibaba, according to Malwarebytes, in a case involving UK Biobank. The UK Biobank charity alerted the government after listings appeared on the Chinese e‑commerce site, with officials saying researchers downloaded the data under a legitimate contract.

The dataset—a de‑identified collection from UK Biobank’s long‑running cohort—includes genetic sequences, blood samples, medical imaging and detailed lifestyle information, although it does not contain names, addresses or NHS numbers; it does contain granular demographics such as gender, age, birth month/year, socioeconomic indicators and health measures.

UK Biobank holds more than 15 million biological samples and detailed health records from volunteers recruited between 2006 and 2010, and investigators linked the Alibaba listings to three research institutions, which had their access paused while security controls were strengthened. Alibaba and Chinese authorities removed the adverts before anyone could confirm a sale, and the incident underscores how approved access can still lead to public exposure.

The article notes that genetic data are a long‑term concern given their immutability, and it discusses questions researchers should ask about governance, data storage and access controls. It was published on 24 April 2026.