Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Ban Chinese Genomics Firm BGI from US over Data Security Fears
• Bipartisan legislation introduced in Congress would ban China's largest genomics firm, BGI, from doing business in the U.S. due to national security concerns.
• BGI has links to the Chinese military and government. It's accused of improperly using genetic data against ethnic minorities in China.
• There are worries BGI could provide China access to Americans' genetic data for economic espionage or developing bio-weapons.
• BGI equipment is widely used in the U.S. The proposed ban aims to restrict this over security risks.
• U.S. officials warn China is aggressively gathering genetic data worldwide, which poses privacy and national security threats.