Chinese researchers tried to sell UK health data
Introduction
Three people from Chinese hospitals tried to sell health data of about 500,000 people on Alibaba. This stopped data access and started questions about safety.
Main Body
The researchers had permission to use the data from UK Biobank. They put listings on Alibaba with information like age, gender, and lifestyle. They did not include names or addresses. Someone told UK Biobank about the listings. UK Biobank stopped the researchers' access. No one bought the data. UK Biobank stopped all data access to stop more problems. The boss said sorry to the volunteers. A minister called the sale a bad thing. Some politicians asked for an investigation. This is not the first problem with Chinese researchers. In 2023, people worried about Chinese scientists getting doctor records. In 2024, a check said the data sharing was safe. In 2025, the health secretary allowed more data to go to UK Biobank. A former spy chief said this was a bad decision. MI5 warned about Chinese interference in science. A politician said the government gave a 'gift to China' and people do not trust the system anymore. A professor said this was the 198th time data came out. He said people do not remove stolen data from the internet enough.
Conclusion
UK Biobank stopped data access to fix safety problems. The sale attempt made politicians want an investigation. People worry about the safety of health data in international research.