The harvesting of genetic data from millions of women by a Chinese company through prenatal tests is concerning and Britain should debate how privacy can be protected from "surveillance autocracy", a senior British lawmaker told Reuters.

A Reuters review of scientific papers and company statements found that BGI Group developed the tests in collaboration with the Chinese military and is using them to collect genetic data for sweeping research on the traits of populations.

"I'm always concerned when data leaves the United Kingdom, that it should be treated with the respect and privacy that we would expect here at home, and the concern that this raises is that it may not be so," Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the British parliament's Foreign Affairs Select Committee, told Reuters.

"The connections between Chinese genomics firms and the Chinese military do not align with what we would normally expect in the United Kingdom or indeed many other countries."

The privacy policy on the website for the prenatal test, sold under the brand name NIFTY in Britain, says data collected can be shared when it is "directly relevant to national security or national defense security" in China.

BGI says it has never shared data for national security purposes and has never been asked to.

Tugendhat is one of nine British lawmakers who has been sanctioned by China for highlighting alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang, which Beijing describes as "lies and disinformation".

He co-leads the China Research Group, a group of Conservative lawmakers which looks to rebalance the strategic relationship with China.

He said that any British companies using the tests should be clear where the data is going, who holds it, and what access others, including other governments, would have to it.

"Unless a company has done that, I think it's perfectly reasonable for British people to be extremely concerned with these connections," he said.

The harvesting of genetic data from millions of women by a Chinese company through prenatal tests is concerning and Britain should debate how privacy can be protected from "surveillance autocracy", a senior British lawmaker told Reuters.

The harvesting of genetic data from millions of women by a Chinese company through prenatal tests is concerning and Britain should debate how privacy can be protected from "surveillance autocracy", a senior British lawmaker told Reuters. A Reuters review of scientific papers and company statements found that BGI Group developed the tests in collaboration with the Chinese military and is using them to collect genetic data for sweeping research on the traits of populations. "I'm always concerned when data leaves the United Kingdom, that it should be treated with the respect and privacy that we would expect here at home, and the concern that this raises is that it may not be so," Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the British parliament's Foreign Affairs Select Committee, told Reuters. "The connections between Chinese genomics firms and the Chinese military do not align with what we would normally expect in the United Kingdom or indeed many other countries." The privacy policy on the website for the prenatal test, sold under the brand name NIFTY in Britain, says data collected can be shared when it is "directly relevant to national security or national defense security" in China. BGI says it has never shared data for national security purposes and has never been asked to. Tugendhat is one of nine British lawmakers who has been sanctioned by China for highlighting alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang, which Beijing describes as "lies and disinformation". He co-leads the China Research Group, a group of Conservative lawmakers which looks to rebalance the strategic relationship with China. He said that any British companies using the tests should be clear where the data is going, who holds it, and what access others, including other governments, would have to it. "Unless a company has done that, I think it's perfectly reasonable for British people to be extremely concerned with these connections," he said.

UK should be concerned at Chinese gene data harvesting, lawmaker says

China's BGI group is using genetic data&nbsp;collected through its prenatal tests&nbsp;from millions of women for sweeping research on the traits of populations, according to a report by news agency Reuters.

Eerily, the tests used in over 50 countries also capture genetic information about the mother, as well as personal details such as her country, height, and weight, but not her name. More disturbing in the report is how the data is being used to&nbsp;single out Tibetan and Uyghur minorities, to find links between their genes and their characteristics.

BGI Group sells&nbsp;prenatal tests around the world. The tests, developed&nbsp;in collaboration with the Chinese military, have been taken by more than 8 million women.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/reports-chinese-veterans-to-get-a-preference-over-new-recruiters-396645/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Based on review of scientific papers and company statements, Reuters found that it is using the genomic data to improve “population quality” and on genetic research to combat hearing loss and altitude sickness in soldiers.

Since 2010, the company&nbsp;has published at least a dozen joint studies on the tests with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA),&nbsp;trialling and improving the tests or analysing the data they provided.

Even as science pinpoints new links between genes and human traits, access to the biggest, most diverse set of human genomes is a strategic edge.

BGI group claims&nbsp;it stores and re-analyses left-over blood samples and genetic data from the prenatal tests, sold in at least 52 countries to detect abnormalities such as Down syndrome in the fetus.

However, in a groundbreaking report, Reuters has revealed that the group's prenatal tests,&nbsp;branded NIFTY for “Non-Invasive Fetal TrisomY”&nbsp;also capture genetic information about the mother, as well as personal details such as her country, height, and weight, but not her name.

The report states that the BGI group uses&nbsp;military supercomputers to re-analyse NIFTY data to single out Tibetan and Uyghur minorities to find links between their genes and their characteristics.

In its defence, the&nbsp;BGI issued&nbsp;a statement saying it ''has never been asked to provide, nor provided, data from its NIFTY tests to Chinese authorities for national security or national defense security purposes.''

BGI is one of about half a dozen major providers of the tests&nbsp;which women take about 10 weeks into a pregnancy to capture DNA from the placenta in the woman’s bloodstream.

Its tests are marketed in at least 13 European Union countries, including Germany, Spain and Denmark, as well as in Britain, Canada, Australia, Thailand, India and Pakistan.

Previously, advisors of the US government had warned in March that the vast bank of genomic data that the company&nbsp;is amassing and analysing with artificial intelligence could give China a path to economic and military advantage.&nbsp;

The technology could propel China to dominate global pharmaceuticals, and also potentially lead to genetically enhanced soldiers, or engineered pathogens to target the US&nbsp;population or food supply, the advisors said.

In 2019, Beijing had mentioned in a regulation that&nbsp;genetic data can be a national security matter, and since 2015 it has restricted foreign researchers from accessing gene data on Chinese people.

(With inputs from agencies)

China's BGI group is using genetic data collected through its prenatal tests from millions of women for sweeping research on the traits of populations, according to a report by news agency Reuters.

China's BGI group is using genetic data collected through its prenatal tests from millions of women for sweeping research on the traits of populations, according to a report by news agency Reuters. Eerily, the tests used in over 50 countries also capture genetic information about the mother, as well as personal details such as her country, height, and weight, but not her name. More disturbing in the report is how the data is being used to single out Tibetan and Uyghur minorities, to find links between their genes and their characteristics. BGI Group sells prenatal tests around the world. The tests, developed in collaboration with the Chinese military, have been taken by more than 8 million women. Based on review of scientific papers and company statements, Reuters found that it is using the genomic data to improve “population quality” and on genetic research to combat hearing loss and altitude sickness in soldiers. Since 2010, the company has published at least a dozen joint studies on the tests with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), trialling and improving the tests or analysing the data they provided. Even as science pinpoints new links between genes and human traits, access to the biggest, most diverse set of human genomes is a strategic edge. BGI group claims it stores and re-analyses left-over blood samples and genetic data from the prenatal tests, sold in at least 52 countries to detect abnormalities such as Down syndrome in the fetus. However, in a groundbreaking report, Reuters has revealed that the group's prenatal tests, branded NIFTY for “Non-Invasive Fetal TrisomY” also capture genetic information about the mother, as well as personal details such as her country, height, and weight, but not her name. The report states that the BGI group uses military supercomputers to re-analyse NIFTY data to single out Tibetan and Uyghur minorities to find links between their genes and their characteristics. In its defence, the BGI issued a statement saying it ''has never been asked to provide, nor provided, data from its NIFTY tests to Chinese authorities for national security or national defense security purposes.'' BGI is one of about half a dozen major providers of the tests which women take about 10 weeks into a pregnancy to capture DNA from the placenta in the woman’s bloodstream. Its tests are marketed in at least 13 European Union countries, including Germany, Spain and Denmark, as well as in Britain, Canada, Australia, Thailand, India and Pakistan. Previously, advisors of the US government had warned in March that the vast bank of genomic data that the company is amassing and analysing with artificial intelligence could give China a path to economic and military advantage. The technology could propel China to dominate global pharmaceuticals, and also potentially lead to genetically enhanced soldiers, or engineered pathogens to target the US population or food supply, the advisors said. In 2019, Beijing had mentioned in a regulation that genetic data can be a national security matter, and since 2015 it has restricted foreign researchers from accessing gene data on Chinese people. (With inputs from agencies)

Millions of gene data harvested across world from women's prenatal tests linked to Chinese military

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UK should be concerned at Chinese gene data harvesting, lawmaker says

Millions of gene data harvested across world from women's prenatal tests linked to Chinese military