- Data from 500,000 UK Biobank volunteers was discovered advertised for sale on Alibaba's e-commerce platforms in China.
- Technology Minister Ian Murray informed the Commons that the listings, which appeared to sell Biobank participation data, were identified on 20 April.
- The compromised data did not contain participants' names, addresses, contact details, or telephone numbers, and the listings were removed before any purchases were made.
- The government, UK Biobank, and Chinese authorities collaborated to remove the listings and revoke access for three research institutions identified as the source.
- UK Biobank has paused further data access, referred itself to the Information Commissioner’s Office, and is implementing additional security measures following the incident.
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