An open database in China contains the personal data of more than 1 million women, including their phone numbers, addresses, and data describing whether a woman has children or is of childbearing age, according to a researcher.
Victor Gevers, a researcher from the Netherlands working for the non-profit group GDI.Basis, discovered the vulnerable database while trying to find open databases in China, the Guardian reported on Monday.
The database included fields labeled in English for age, education, marital status, as well as a column titled “BreedReady,” which provided data on the reproductive status of women.
It is unclear whether or not the database refers to a dating app, a registry of authorities, or some other organization or company.
Gevers, who also discovered a database maintained by a surveillance company that monitored at least 2.5 million residents in Xinjiang, said he took samples and worked to verify the information.
The average age of women in the database was 32, with the youngest being 15, the researcher said. Nearly 90 percent of the individuals included in the database were described individually, and 82 percent were listed as residing in Beijing.
The database included additional fields titled “politics” in addition to hyperlinks to what appeared to be Facebook profile pages. Facebook is blocked in China and can only be accessed through personal digital networks.
