Trump administration blocks China’s access to American genetic data

Brace yourself: the federal government just slammed the door on a risky loophole that let American DNA slip into the hands of labs in China and other adversarial nations.

On Wednesday, the Trump Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rolled out a bold new policy to stop the flow of sensitive genetic information abroad, as the Daily Caller reports, addressing a dangerous oversight that allowed U.S. citizens’ living cells to be outsourced for research — often without their consent — and potentially misused by hostile entities.

For years, the FDA permitted the export of biological materials, including living cells used in cutting-edge therapies, to countries such as China for research purposes. Shockingly, these cells were sometimes even reimported into the U.S. without trial participants having a clue. Talk about playing fast and loose with personal data.

Closing a dangerous genetic loophole

Last year, the U.S. started enforcing export controls to curb the transfer of sensitive genetic data to adversarial nations. However, a glaring exemption finalized in December 2024 and implemented in April 2025 left the pharmaceutical industry and clinical trial operators free to ship biological materials abroad. Even companies with ties to the Chinese Communist Party got a free pass.

Before this crackdown, the emerging field of cell therapy — think transferring live cells to treat serious diseases — posed a massive risk. With roughly 8,000 active cell therapy and 1,000 gene therapy experiments listed on ClinicalTrials.gov, per the American Society of Gene-Cell Therapy, countless Americans’ genetic data could have ended up in the wrong hands.

“The previous administration turned a blind eye and allowed American DNA to be sent abroad — often without the knowledge or understanding of trial participants,” said FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary. Well, isn’t that a shocker? Ignoring the privacy of everyday folks while foreign labs potentially feast on our most personal information is exactly the kind of oversight conservatives have been warning about for years.

National security meets personal privacy

The issue of genetic data diversion isn’t new, but it gained serious traction after the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, China — a city tied to a high-security lab linked to the People’s Liberation Army. Concerns about the Chinese military accessing American genetic information have been mounting, and the U.S. government has been tightening the screws in response.

Take Shenzhen-based BGI Group, the world’s largest genomic sequencing company, as a prime example. The U.S. Commerce Department has blacklisted five of its affiliates in recent years for their potential role in aiding Chinese government surveillance and the alarming risk of funneling genetic data to military programs.

Biosecurity experts have also flagged chilling writings from the People’s Liberation Army speculating on “specific ethnic genetic attacks,” though some caution that this remains a theoretical threat. Still, the mere idea sends a shiver down the spine—shouldn’t we err on the side of caution with something as sacred as our DNA?

Protecting Americans from unseen risks

Let’s be clear: the progressive push for unchecked global collaboration often glosses over hard realities. Outsourcing sensitive research to adversarial nations isn’t just naive — it’s a gamble with national security and individual privacy. Turns out, actions do have consequences, and this administration is finally stepping up to clean up the mess.

The scale of potential exposure is staggering when you consider the sheer volume of experiments involving American genetic material. With thousands of trials underway, the loophole left open until now could have compromised untold numbers of citizens who trusted the system to protect them.

This isn’t just about policy — it’s about principle. Why should any American have their most intimate biological data handled by foreign entities with questionable motives, especially when ties to hostile militaries are in play?

A win for conservative values

The FDA’s latest move is a long-overdue victory for those of us who believe in putting America first, especially when it comes to something as personal as genetic information. It’s a rejection of the globalist mindset that prioritizes convenience over security.

While some might argue this crackdown could slow down medical research, the trade-off for safeguarding our data — and our sovereignty — is worth it. Let’s not forget that trust, once broken, isn’t easily mended, especially when folks didn’t even know their DNA was on a world tour.

At the end of the day, this policy shift sends a powerful message: the days of turning a blind eye to risky loopholes are over. Americans deserve to know their most personal information isn’t up for grabs by foreign powers, and this administration is finally drawing a line in the sand. Here’s hoping this is just the start of more common-sense protections.