Researchers sound alarm… that 32000 people’s DNA data and medical records cannot anymore “just” be transferred to a foreign government agency’s servers that are neither audited nor subject to the jurisdiction of EU courts? https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1197660283897909248

1/ The research is undoubtedly extremely important and beneficial but this is beyond the point. The research is not the concern! The concern is sensitive and probably re-identifiable data being transferred without appropriate legal and technical safeguards.

2/ We, researchers, need to stop with the good “justifying the bad”. It is not (and should not be) for us, as individuals, to decide if the societal benefits outweigh the risks for the people whose data are being put at risk.

3/ More importantly, we do not have to choose between privacy and using data. A range of technical solutions compatible with GDPR for safely using data exist (e.g. query-based systems, SMPC, secure data hubs), but yes we do need to change the way we have been doing things