"Trying to Manage Health Leads to Personal Data Leakage to China... Global Alert Raised"

Nihon Keizai Shimbun Highlights Spread of Chinese Healthcare Apps
Points Out Possibility of Genome Data Collection for New Drug Development

Concerns have been raised that sensitive health information from various countries, including the United States and Japan, could be leaked to China through health applications (apps) installed on smartphones.

On the 2nd, Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported, "Chinese healthcare apps are rapidly spreading." Representative Chinese healthcare apps installed on smartphones include Alibaba Group's healthcare subsidiary's AliHealth app and Ping An Good Doctor, a Chinese telemedicine platform.

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Recently, as consumers' health awareness has increased, it has become common to use healthcare apps that record and manage everyday conditions, sleep, exercise, various disease histories, and genetic information. In Japan, it was found that one out of every two smartphone users uses healthcare apps. According to market research firm Insider Intelligence, about two-thirds of adults in the United States have used healthcare apps in the past year.

The problem is the risk of sensitive personal information of healthcare app users being leaked. Nihon Keizai warned, "There have been cases where sensitive health-related information, such as mental illness, is traded through brokers," adding, "There is a hidden risk behind convenience." It particularly pointed out the risks of Chinese healthcare apps. China’s National Security Law obliges companies and individuals to cooperate with the state's information activities. If the government requests data from app operators, they cannot refuse.

The international community is most concerned about the leakage of genomic data. Nihon Keizai stated, "An era has come where artificial intelligence (AI) is used to analyze vast data such as genomes and develop new drugs based on it," adding, "China already has overwhelming competitiveness in the production of anticancer drugs and antibiotics. This enables China to seize its fate in pharmaceuticals that determine national health and life."

A Japanese government official told Nihon Keizai, "China is developing various new drugs and increasing its presence in the international community," and "The active collection of genomic data by the Chinese government may have had an impact."

Nihon Keizai predicted, "In the intensifying US-China confrontation, it has become an era where the economy and security can no longer be separated," and "The country that secures genomic data from the most diverse groups worldwide, including races, will dominate the international community."