Health Data of 500,000 UK Citizens Leaked, Briefly Sold on Chinese E-commerce Platform
De-identified medical data of 500,000 members of the UK Biobank briefly appeared for sale on Alibaba. The data was legally downloaded by Chinese academic institutions before the unauthorized listing, which Alibaba swiftly removed.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 24, 2026 at 20:25
- 🔍 Collected: April 24, 2026 at 20:32 (6 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 22:15 (1h 42m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(CNA Reporter, London, 24th) The UK government announced that de-identified medical data from 500,000 members of the UK Biobank briefly appeared for sale on the Chinese e-commerce platform Alibaba. The organization stated that Alibaba swiftly removed the sales information before any transactions were completed.
According to a synthesis of reports from AFP and Reuters, UK Data Minister Ian Murray told lawmakers yesterday that the breach involved the information of all 500,000 members of the database. He said that the UK Biobank notified the government on the 20th that data from its database appeared to be sold by several sellers on the Alibaba platform in the form of three different product listings.
Murray pointed out, "The misuse of data from the UK Biobank charity is unacceptable," and stated that this data was downloaded by three Chinese research institutions through legal channels.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun was asked about this matter at a press conference today. He responded that China "has always protected personal data rights according to the law," but did not provide further details.
The UK Biobank utilizes medical data from volunteers to help researchers advance scientific discoveries, such as improving screening and treatment for dementia and cancer.
The UK Biobank released a statement saying: "De-identified participant data provided to three Chinese academic institutions was listed for sale on a Chinese consumer website owned by Alibaba."
Rory Collins, the CEO of the database, pointed out, "Alibaba swiftly removed the sales information before any transactions were completed," emphasizing that the data did not contain information capable of identifying specific individuals.
According to reports, the access rights of the three Chinese research institutions involved to the medical data of the database have been suspended.
Murray said, "We continue to work with the UK Biobank to clarify the details of the incident. We have asked them to prioritize investigating why this data appeared for sale on the internet." (Translation: Hong Chi-yuan) 1150424
Choose to stand with the facts; every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the CNA "First Hand News" APP to immediately grasp the latest news.
The text, pictures, and audio/video of this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.
(CNA Reporter, London, 24th) The UK government announced that de-identified medical data from 500,000 members of the UK Biobank briefly appeared for sale on the Chinese e-commerce platform Alibaba. The organization stated that Alibaba swiftly removed the sales information before any transactions were completed.
According to a synthesis of reports from AFP and Reuters, UK Data Minister Ian Murray told lawmakers yesterday that the breach involved the information of all 500,000 members of the database. He said that the UK Biobank notified the government on the 20th that data from its database appeared to be sold by several sellers on the Alibaba platform in the form of three different product listings.
Murray pointed out, "The misuse of data from the UK Biobank charity is unacceptable," and stated that this data was downloaded by three Chinese research institutions through legal channels.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun was asked about this matter at a press conference today. He responded that China "has always protected personal data rights according to the law," but did not provide further details.
The UK Biobank utilizes medical data from volunteers to help researchers advance scientific discoveries, such as improving screening and treatment for dementia and cancer.
The UK Biobank released a statement saying: "De-identified participant data provided to three Chinese academic institutions was listed for sale on a Chinese consumer website owned by Alibaba."
Rory Collins, the CEO of the database, pointed out, "Alibaba swiftly removed the sales information before any transactions were completed," emphasizing that the data did not contain information capable of identifying specific individuals.
According to reports, the access rights of the three Chinese research institutions involved to the medical data of the database have been suspended.
Murray said, "We continue to work with the UK Biobank to clarify the details of the incident. We have asked them to prioritize investigating why this data appeared for sale on the internet." (Translation: Hong Chi-yuan) 1150424
Choose to stand with the facts; every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the CNA "First Hand News" APP to immediately grasp the latest news.
The text, pictures, and audio/video of this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.