The National Institutes of Health (NIH) cut off data access to several countries, including China, due to concerns over potential information leaks.
On Wednesday, the Korea Biotechnology Industry Organization reported that the NIH blocked data access for China, Hong Kong, Macau, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela. The restricted information includes cancer statistics databases.
This ban, effective April 4, is part of a broader effort to safeguard sensitive personal data and government-related information in the United States.
In an official statement, the NIH emphasized that it prioritizes maintaining participant data confidentiality, integrity, and availability and implements technical updates to strengthen security measures by the latest guidelines.
Chinese media outlet DeepTech reported that Chinese researchers have been unable to access the U.S. SEER system, a database managed by the NIH, since April 4.
SEER has been a valuable resource for Chinese scientists, with 1,566 research papers published using its data from 1999 to August 2020.
A spokesperson for the Bio Association stated that it is uncertain whether data can be shared with the restricted countries for “non-commercial purposes.” It is uncertain if other U.S. government agencies will adopt this NIH policy.
