THE personal health data of more than half a million UK Biobank volunteers has been put up for sale on e-commerce platforms in China following a data breach. In a statement to the House of Commons, according to Ian Murry, the Minister for Digital Government and Data, three listings appeared that could sell UK Biobank participant data, with at least one dataset potentially covering all 500,000 volunteers.
The listings were advertised on Alibaba platforms in China, though UK Biobank and the government believe nobody purchased the leaked data. UK Biobank stressed that the breach did not contain personal information such as names, addresses, contact details or NHS numbers, and that the data are de-identified. The breach has been traced to researchers at three academic institutions who misused their access, with access suspended and the actions described as a clear breach of contract.
The organisation has temporarily suspended all platform access and will implement strict limits on downloadable files while a comprehensive board-led investigation proceeds.