#Mainlandization #CCP
China's Maoyan Entertainment Becomes Hong Kong's New Ticketing System; Concert Tickets will have to be Purchased through Chinese Firm
China's biggest ticketing operator Maoyan Entertainment (1896) won the tender to the ticketing services offered by the Hong Kong government's Leisure and Cultural Services Department at a low price of 91.7 million HKD, which is cheaper than 7 years ago.
The local firm Cityline which had been the ticket system provider for 14 years stated that it is quite difficult to hire IT talents and resources in Hong Kong with the same price, and it will end its service at the end of 2021.
If citizens want to book tickets for 28 venues including Hung Hom Stadium and Queen Elizabeth Stadium, they will have to purchase through the Chinese firm. Experts have expressed their concerns about the user's privacy issues.
Source: Apple Daily #Dec16
https://hk.appledaily.com/finance/20201216/SMZGYBJM65FSHCNR5QOVXVFPPY/
#BigData #Privacy #Maoyan
China's Maoyan Entertainment Becomes Hong Kong's New Ticketing System; Concert Tickets will have to be Purchased through Chinese Firm
China's biggest ticketing operator Maoyan Entertainment (1896) won the tender to the ticketing services offered by the Hong Kong government's Leisure and Cultural Services Department at a low price of 91.7 million HKD, which is cheaper than 7 years ago.
The local firm Cityline which had been the ticket system provider for 14 years stated that it is quite difficult to hire IT talents and resources in Hong Kong with the same price, and it will end its service at the end of 2021.
If citizens want to book tickets for 28 venues including Hung Hom Stadium and Queen Elizabeth Stadium, they will have to purchase through the Chinese firm. Experts have expressed their concerns about the user's privacy issues.
Source: Apple Daily #Dec16
https://hk.appledaily.com/finance/20201216/SMZGYBJM65FSHCNR5QOVXVFPPY/
#BigData #Privacy #Maoyan
#AsiasFinest #PoliceState
HK Police Breaches Privacy Law for Showing Reporter's ID and Press Cards In Front of Livestream Camera
The Privacy Commissioner on Dec 22, 2020 announced their investigation result regarding an incident involving a Hong Kong police officer displaying a #StandNews reporter’s ID card in front of a live-recording camera during a pro-democracy protest at Tai Po Mega Mall on Dec 26, 2019.
Read:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/14135
The police involved intercepted a reporter and demanded to see his ID and press cards. The officer then held up the reporter's press cards to a TV camera, and then did the same with the ID card, for around 40 seconds.
The Commisioner found that the police officer breached a data protection principle listed in the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance.
Source: RTHK #Dec22
news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1566645-20201222.htm
#Privacy #PoliceState #BoxingDay2019
HK Police Breaches Privacy Law for Showing Reporter's ID and Press Cards In Front of Livestream Camera
The Privacy Commissioner on Dec 22, 2020 announced their investigation result regarding an incident involving a Hong Kong police officer displaying a #StandNews reporter’s ID card in front of a live-recording camera during a pro-democracy protest at Tai Po Mega Mall on Dec 26, 2019.
Read:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/14135
The police involved intercepted a reporter and demanded to see his ID and press cards. The officer then held up the reporter's press cards to a TV camera, and then did the same with the ID card, for around 40 seconds.
The Commisioner found that the police officer breached a data protection principle listed in the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance.
Source: RTHK #Dec22
news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1566645-20201222.htm
#Privacy #PoliceState #BoxingDay2019
#PoliceState #AsiasFinest
Hong Kong Research Institute Demands Police to Return Data: Police are “Scarier than thieves”
During the mass arrest of 55 pro-democracy activists for their involvement in the primary election, the Hong Kong police also took away computers and servers from the office of Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (#PORI) located in Wan Chai and Wong Chuk Hang.
The PORI provided technical support during the primary election in July 2019. The president of PORI, Dr. Robert Chung Yiu Ting, said their lawyer issued a letter to the Secretary for Justice, demanding the police to respect academic freedom and researchers’ dignity and return data that is unrelated to the case.
Chung said, the data that was taken away by the police has nothing to do with the primary election. One of the items taken away was a large scale database which stored a large amount of data set that would be crucial for long term data analysis.
Chung anticipated that “the police would probably say they do not know which data is related and which is not related to the election”, and therefore asked the police to return a copy of the data so that they can maintain their research at the Institute; otherwise it would be hard for one to not think that the police are being “malicious”.
Chung also said he was aware of the citizens’ concerns towards the safety of the data storage. Although the PORI has already enhanced its security system to prevent any hacking, they still cannot prevent the data from being collected by someone with public authority.
“You can prevent thieves by closing all windows, but you still cannot stop the police from entering your house”. Dr. Kenneth Chan Ka Lok, in political science at the Baptist University, described the police as “scarier than thieves”.
Source: InMedia #Jan13
https://bit.ly/2LqwAwD
#Thief #Privacy #Data
Hong Kong Research Institute Demands Police to Return Data: Police are “Scarier than thieves”
During the mass arrest of 55 pro-democracy activists for their involvement in the primary election, the Hong Kong police also took away computers and servers from the office of Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (#PORI) located in Wan Chai and Wong Chuk Hang.
The PORI provided technical support during the primary election in July 2019. The president of PORI, Dr. Robert Chung Yiu Ting, said their lawyer issued a letter to the Secretary for Justice, demanding the police to respect academic freedom and researchers’ dignity and return data that is unrelated to the case.
Chung said, the data that was taken away by the police has nothing to do with the primary election. One of the items taken away was a large scale database which stored a large amount of data set that would be crucial for long term data analysis.
Chung anticipated that “the police would probably say they do not know which data is related and which is not related to the election”, and therefore asked the police to return a copy of the data so that they can maintain their research at the Institute; otherwise it would be hard for one to not think that the police are being “malicious”.
Chung also said he was aware of the citizens’ concerns towards the safety of the data storage. Although the PORI has already enhanced its security system to prevent any hacking, they still cannot prevent the data from being collected by someone with public authority.
“You can prevent thieves by closing all windows, but you still cannot stop the police from entering your house”. Dr. Kenneth Chan Ka Lok, in political science at the Baptist University, described the police as “scarier than thieves”.
Source: InMedia #Jan13
https://bit.ly/2LqwAwD
#Thief #Privacy #Data
#FirstHand #MassSurveillance
Pro-democracy Hongkongers Calling on Citizens to Say NO to Mass Surveillance Disguised as a COVID19 Monitoring App
Pro-democracy activist Granny Wong and singer Tommy Yuen Man-on were sighted commemorating the death of Marco Leung on the late evening of Feb 15, 2021.
Read more:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28618
While paying tribute to 'yellow raincoat man' Marco Leung Ling-kit, they displayed handbills that read “Say No to the Leave-Home-Safe-App”.
They urged citizens to think twice before downloading the app, which acts no different than a digital tracking device for the Hong Kong government to monitor and trace citizens, disrespecting their freedom and privacy.
Source: First Hand; #Feb15
#GrannyWong #TommyYuen #YellowRainCoatMan #CovidApp #Privacy
Pro-democracy Hongkongers Calling on Citizens to Say NO to Mass Surveillance Disguised as a COVID19 Monitoring App
Pro-democracy activist Granny Wong and singer Tommy Yuen Man-on were sighted commemorating the death of Marco Leung on the late evening of Feb 15, 2021.
Read more:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28618
While paying tribute to 'yellow raincoat man' Marco Leung Ling-kit, they displayed handbills that read “Say No to the Leave-Home-Safe-App”.
They urged citizens to think twice before downloading the app, which acts no different than a digital tracking device for the Hong Kong government to monitor and trace citizens, disrespecting their freedom and privacy.
Source: First Hand; #Feb15
#GrannyWong #TommyYuen #YellowRainCoatMan #CovidApp #Privacy
WhatsApp Faces Legal Challenge in India for Allegedly National Security-threatening Privacy Policy
WhatsApp is facing legal challenges in India having sparked concern around the world over its new privacy policy. The instant messaging app is accused of being a threat to national security and violates Indians’ constitutional rights. The case was heard in court on Friday, January 15.
According to a Reuters report, a lawsuit was filed on the grounds that the app’s new policy threatens national security by having user information sent to foreign countries. “WhatsApp has made a mockery out of our fundamental right to privacy,” said the plaintiff, who slams the app’s developer for their “arbitrary behaviour and browbeating”. The move, the plaintiff said, “cannot be accepted in a democracy and is completely ‘ultra vires’ (beyond its powers) and against the fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution of India”.
Source: Stand News #Jan14
#India #WhatsApp #Privacy
https://bit.ly/3bXCoHw
WhatsApp is facing legal challenges in India having sparked concern around the world over its new privacy policy. The instant messaging app is accused of being a threat to national security and violates Indians’ constitutional rights. The case was heard in court on Friday, January 15.
According to a Reuters report, a lawsuit was filed on the grounds that the app’s new policy threatens national security by having user information sent to foreign countries. “WhatsApp has made a mockery out of our fundamental right to privacy,” said the plaintiff, who slams the app’s developer for their “arbitrary behaviour and browbeating”. The move, the plaintiff said, “cannot be accepted in a democracy and is completely ‘ultra vires’ (beyond its powers) and against the fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution of India”.
Source: Stand News #Jan14
#India #WhatsApp #Privacy
https://bit.ly/3bXCoHw
Chinese Hackers Suspected of Intruding into US Government Computer System, National Security Employees at Risk of Personal Data Breach
Reuters quoted five sources on 3 February as saying that hackers suspected to be of Chinese origin have taken advantage of vulnerabilities in SolarWinds’ software to intrude into US government computers last December. This was the second time the American government computer system was reported to have been compromised since the Russian invasion last December.
According to two sources, FBI investigators have recently discovered that the National Finance Center, the USDA-administered unit responsible for the federal payroll, was one of the government agencies under attack. This has led to worries that the data of tens of thousands of US government employees’ data might have been stolen.
The National Finance Center is responsible for handling the wages of the employees of multiple government organizations, which include agencies involved in national security matters like the FBI, the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the Treasury. The Center holds the employees’ identity card numbers, phone numbers, personal email addresses and banking information.
Source: Stand News #Feb03
#US #China #Russia #SolarWinds #NationalFinanceCenter #Cyberattack #NationalSecurity #PersonalData #Privacy
https://bit.ly/30UHC1y
Reuters quoted five sources on 3 February as saying that hackers suspected to be of Chinese origin have taken advantage of vulnerabilities in SolarWinds’ software to intrude into US government computers last December. This was the second time the American government computer system was reported to have been compromised since the Russian invasion last December.
According to two sources, FBI investigators have recently discovered that the National Finance Center, the USDA-administered unit responsible for the federal payroll, was one of the government agencies under attack. This has led to worries that the data of tens of thousands of US government employees’ data might have been stolen.
The National Finance Center is responsible for handling the wages of the employees of multiple government organizations, which include agencies involved in national security matters like the FBI, the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the Treasury. The Center holds the employees’ identity card numbers, phone numbers, personal email addresses and banking information.
Source: Stand News #Feb03
#US #China #Russia #SolarWinds #NationalFinanceCenter #Cyberattack #NationalSecurity #PersonalData #Privacy
https://bit.ly/30UHC1y
#MassSurveillance #BigData
HK Gov't's COVID-tracing App Keeps Visit Records For Up to 7 Years and Shares Data with Enforcement Personnel
Recently, a revised privacy statement of the Hong Kong government-endorsed COVID-tracing app, #LeaveHomeSafe, showed that users’ visit records would be uploaded to the Department of Health and stored for a period of up to seven years.
The statement also mentioned that such records could be provided to law enforcement agents, aiding their tracking work.
This statement is different from the earlier version in February 2021, in which it stressed that records of users’ visits would only be stored in their handsets and will not be used for other track-and-trace matters.
It seems that users’ visit records have already been sent to the Government database. It was said that users’ visit records lodged via the mobile app would be first collected in the cloud database for statistical reports compilation.
Once a confirmed #COVID19 case is identified, the relevant information is downloaded to the user's mobile phone to track down his/her close contacts.
The new Privacy Statement also stated that in the face of an offence or prosecution, the Privacy Commission could authorize the use of relevant data for enforcement purposes.
Source: Unwire.hk; #Mar24
https://unwire.hk/2021/03/24/stayhomesafeappprivacyongpnermsoft/software/
#LeaveHomeSafe #Privacy #TrackandTrace #DepartmentofHealth
HK Gov't's COVID-tracing App Keeps Visit Records For Up to 7 Years and Shares Data with Enforcement Personnel
Recently, a revised privacy statement of the Hong Kong government-endorsed COVID-tracing app, #LeaveHomeSafe, showed that users’ visit records would be uploaded to the Department of Health and stored for a period of up to seven years.
The statement also mentioned that such records could be provided to law enforcement agents, aiding their tracking work.
This statement is different from the earlier version in February 2021, in which it stressed that records of users’ visits would only be stored in their handsets and will not be used for other track-and-trace matters.
It seems that users’ visit records have already been sent to the Government database. It was said that users’ visit records lodged via the mobile app would be first collected in the cloud database for statistical reports compilation.
Once a confirmed #COVID19 case is identified, the relevant information is downloaded to the user's mobile phone to track down his/her close contacts.
The new Privacy Statement also stated that in the face of an offence or prosecution, the Privacy Commission could authorize the use of relevant data for enforcement purposes.
Source: Unwire.hk; #Mar24
https://unwire.hk/2021/03/24/stayhomesafeappprivacyongpnermsoft/software/
#LeaveHomeSafe #Privacy #TrackandTrace #DepartmentofHealth
Unwire.hk
安心出行紀錄會上傳衞生署 資料提供執法人員 + 記錄留7年
近日，流動應用程式「安心出行」的聲明中指，有關外出的紀錄會被上傳至衞生署，保存年期更長達7年，聲明中更直指資科 […]
#MassSurveillance #BigData
Hong Kong Government Installs 1,200 Bluetooth Detectors on Major Roads
The Transport Department in Hong Kong has completed the installation of 1,200 sets of traffic detectors on major roads at the end of 2020, despite public concerns about the privacy of the "smart lampposts".
The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (#OGCIO) in Hong Kong did remove the cameras and Bluetooth traffic detectors from the lampposts in May 2020. However, other departments continued to install Bluetooth detectors on other lampposts.
These detectors include video detectors, Bluetooth detectors and automatic license plate recognition detectors. The Bluetooth detectors, which can detect drivers and passengers' Bluetooth devices such as personal phones, headphones and smartwatches.
The IT industry stated that the Department did not consult the industry before installation, nor find the best technical solution to protect citizen’s privacy.
The Transport Department claimed that it has done a privacy risk assessment, and the collected Bluetooth data will be deleted.
Leo To, Executive Committee of the HK Wireless Technology Industry Association believes that there are many alternative solutions to detect vehicle speed that doesn’t require a collection of personal device data, such as the most traditional radar, the existing lens, the latest optical radar.
He said that he cannot understand why the Department chose to use a technology that “can possibly turn surveillance into monitoring".
In Mid-2019, the Hong Kong Government launched 50 smart lampposts in the Kwun Tong/Kai Tak Development Area which raised privacy concerns and were partially destroyed during the anti-extradition movement.
The government subsequently set up a technical advisory committee to review the plan, the committee's report recommended the use of thermal detectors, optical radar (#LiDAR) instead of cameras, and "more privacy-friendly" technology instead of Bluetooth detectors to detect vehicle speed and identify different types of vehicles. If the results are satisfactory, it is expected to be installed in the existing smart lampposts for field testing in the middle of this year.
Francis Fong Po-Kiu, A member of the Multi-functional Smart Lampposts Technical Advisory Ad Hoc Committee, requests the Department to provide relevant information to the public, including the exact location of all detectors, the information collected, the technology used, the privacy report results, and whether it will be used for law enforcement purposes.
Source: MingPao #March25
#Privacy #SmartLamppost #BigBrother
http://news.mingpao.com/pns2103251616610400825
http://news.mingpao.com/pns2103251616610404390
Hong Kong Government Installs 1,200 Bluetooth Detectors on Major Roads
The Transport Department in Hong Kong has completed the installation of 1,200 sets of traffic detectors on major roads at the end of 2020, despite public concerns about the privacy of the "smart lampposts".
The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (#OGCIO) in Hong Kong did remove the cameras and Bluetooth traffic detectors from the lampposts in May 2020. However, other departments continued to install Bluetooth detectors on other lampposts.
These detectors include video detectors, Bluetooth detectors and automatic license plate recognition detectors. The Bluetooth detectors, which can detect drivers and passengers' Bluetooth devices such as personal phones, headphones and smartwatches.
The IT industry stated that the Department did not consult the industry before installation, nor find the best technical solution to protect citizen’s privacy.
The Transport Department claimed that it has done a privacy risk assessment, and the collected Bluetooth data will be deleted.
Leo To, Executive Committee of the HK Wireless Technology Industry Association believes that there are many alternative solutions to detect vehicle speed that doesn’t require a collection of personal device data, such as the most traditional radar, the existing lens, the latest optical radar.
He said that he cannot understand why the Department chose to use a technology that “can possibly turn surveillance into monitoring".
In Mid-2019, the Hong Kong Government launched 50 smart lampposts in the Kwun Tong/Kai Tak Development Area which raised privacy concerns and were partially destroyed during the anti-extradition movement.
The government subsequently set up a technical advisory committee to review the plan, the committee's report recommended the use of thermal detectors, optical radar (#LiDAR) instead of cameras, and "more privacy-friendly" technology instead of Bluetooth detectors to detect vehicle speed and identify different types of vehicles. If the results are satisfactory, it is expected to be installed in the existing smart lampposts for field testing in the middle of this year.
Francis Fong Po-Kiu, A member of the Multi-functional Smart Lampposts Technical Advisory Ad Hoc Committee, requests the Department to provide relevant information to the public, including the exact location of all detectors, the information collected, the technology used, the privacy report results, and whether it will be used for law enforcement purposes.
Source: MingPao #March25
#Privacy #SmartLamppost #BigBrother
http://news.mingpao.com/pns2103251616610400825
http://news.mingpao.com/pns2103251616610404390
明報新聞網 - 每日明報 daily news
探測器這邊從智慧燈柱拆除 那邊在幹道裝設 路過開藍牙 燈柱自動蒐資料 - 20210325 - 要聞
【明報專訊】因應公眾對「智慧燈柱」的私隱疑慮，政府資訊科技總監辦公室（資科辦）去年5月移除其中的鏡頭及藍牙交通探測器，但其他部門卻在其他燈柱繼續安裝，例如運輸署去年底完成在主要幹道裝設1200組交通探測器，包括視像探測器、藍牙探測器及車牌自動識別探測器。其中最具爭議的藍牙探測器，可偵測司機、乘客的藍牙裝置，包括個人電話、耳機、智能手表等。有IT業界認為，署方安裝前未有諮詢業界，未有物色最能避免蒐集個人裝置資料的技術方案，令社會產生疑慮。運輸署表示已做私隱風險評估，蒐集的藍牙資料會刪除。
#MassSurveillance #Privacy
Media in the Netherlands: #Huawei Might Have Sent Users' Data to China
According to the media outlet de Volkskrant in the Netherlands, the local telecommunication company Telfort was aware sincec 2011 that the Chinese phone manufacturer Huawei could access the data of over millions of users without a trace.
This is revealed in an internal report of KPN, the parent company of Telport; however, the company has never informed relevant department such as the Data Protection Authority (#DPA) and their customers.
Scholars pointed out the possibilty of having the data channeled to China, although Huawei denied that data has been shared.
Source: Stand News #Mar31
https://www.thestandnews.com/international/%E5%A4%96%E5%AA%92-%E8%8F%AF%E7%82%BA%E6%9B%BE%E5%8F%AF%E4%B8%8D%E7%95%99%E7%97%95%E8%B7%A1%E5%AD%98%E5%8F%96%E8%8D%B7%E8%98%AD%E9%9B%BB%E8%A8%8A%E5%95%86%E9%81%8E%E7%99%BE%E8%90%AC%E7%94%A8%E6%88%B6%E8%B3%87%E6%96%99/
#Telport #KPN #Telecommunication #BigData #BigBrother
Media in the Netherlands: #Huawei Might Have Sent Users' Data to China
According to the media outlet de Volkskrant in the Netherlands, the local telecommunication company Telfort was aware sincec 2011 that the Chinese phone manufacturer Huawei could access the data of over millions of users without a trace.
This is revealed in an internal report of KPN, the parent company of Telport; however, the company has never informed relevant department such as the Data Protection Authority (#DPA) and their customers.
Scholars pointed out the possibilty of having the data channeled to China, although Huawei denied that data has been shared.
Source: Stand News #Mar31
https://www.thestandnews.com/international/%E5%A4%96%E5%AA%92-%E8%8F%AF%E7%82%BA%E6%9B%BE%E5%8F%AF%E4%B8%8D%E7%95%99%E7%97%95%E8%B7%A1%E5%AD%98%E5%8F%96%E8%8D%B7%E8%98%AD%E9%9B%BB%E8%A8%8A%E5%95%86%E9%81%8E%E7%99%BE%E8%90%AC%E7%94%A8%E6%88%B6%E8%B3%87%E6%96%99/
#Telport #KPN #Telecommunication #BigData #BigBrother
#BigBrother
British Minister Resigned Over Affair Scandal; Surveillance Camera Comes from Chinese enterprises monitoring Xinjiang
British Secretary of Health Matt Hancock, who was married, was revealed to have kissed a colleague, who was also married, in his office. Matt has resigned on 26 June, 2021.
What alarmed the British government the most is the leakage of the surveillance camera footage of Matt's office.
According to the media, the camera was menufactured by the Chinese company Hikvision, which provides CCP with equipment to monitor Xinjiang. The company has been blacklisted by the United States for violating human rights in Uyghur.
Although British security officers claimed that there was a low chance that the incident involved countries that are hostile to the UK, British politicians called on the government to pay attention to China-made monitoring devices.
British Labour Party member Conor McGinn indicated that "the problem is not just about the scandal of Matt Hancock being exposed, but the security crisis within the British government“.
McGinn demanded the goverment to respond to how "a private company that has a connection with China can reach the depth of Whitehall”.
Source: Stand News #Jun29
https://bit.ly/3wUcHQs
#UnitedKingdom #Xinjiang #Uyghurs #Monitoring #MattHancock #Privacy #Blacklist #China #Politics
British Minister Resigned Over Affair Scandal; Surveillance Camera Comes from Chinese enterprises monitoring Xinjiang
British Secretary of Health Matt Hancock, who was married, was revealed to have kissed a colleague, who was also married, in his office. Matt has resigned on 26 June, 2021.
What alarmed the British government the most is the leakage of the surveillance camera footage of Matt's office.
According to the media, the camera was menufactured by the Chinese company Hikvision, which provides CCP with equipment to monitor Xinjiang. The company has been blacklisted by the United States for violating human rights in Uyghur.
Although British security officers claimed that there was a low chance that the incident involved countries that are hostile to the UK, British politicians called on the government to pay attention to China-made monitoring devices.
British Labour Party member Conor McGinn indicated that "the problem is not just about the scandal of Matt Hancock being exposed, but the security crisis within the British government“.
McGinn demanded the goverment to respond to how "a private company that has a connection with China can reach the depth of Whitehall”.
Source: Stand News #Jun29
https://bit.ly/3wUcHQs
#UnitedKingdom #Xinjiang #Uyghurs #Monitoring #MattHancock #Privacy #Blacklist #China #Politics
#WhiteTerror
#Vitasoy requests personal info of staff's family and affiliations in order to pay their wages
On July 1, 2021, a 50-year-old Hong Kong man #LeungKinFai killed himself after stabbing a policeman. It later came to public attention that Leung was an employee at the beverage maker Vitasoy.
In August 2021, a union group expressed concern over reports that Vitasoy is asking its staff to declare any links they and their relatives have with various organisations.
Vitasoy has reportedly asked its workers in mid-August 2021 to sign an agreement to allow the company to collect their personal information as well as that of their family members, including any membership of associations or affiliation with different organisations.
According to the reports, the manufacturer also stated that it might not be able to pay workers if they decline to submit the information, and that such data would be handed over to law enforcement departments if required.
A worker who spoke to Stand News says he could not understand why the company
would want to collect information on their family members. "I'm the one working here, not my family. I feel like they're stripping me naked." Another worker said that it put him in a dilemma: "if I agree, I'd worry my personal information would be leaked. If I don't, I might not be able to feed my family."
According to RTHK reports, Confederation of Trade Unions' chief executive Mung Siu-tat said it is rare for companies to require information that is irrelevant to a person's job. "It's not just collecting the staff members' information, but also their families’. It makes people question if the practice has violated the privacy ordinance because it'd be collecting excessive data," he told an RTHK programme.
Mung said he was not convinced by Vitasoy's explanation that it was merely digitalising its human resources system. "Whether it's for salary payment or for signing them up for medical plans, it should already have got sufficient information to do so," he said. "It's not just updating [its system], it has changed the scope of the personal data it collects. It's collecting more private information that is irrelevant to the employment."
Mung said that it is not difficult to imagine that the move was linked to the stabbing incident on July 1.
Source: RTHK; Stand News #Aug28
https://thestandnews.page.link/isaoEeDhpy8KDmxs6
#PoliticalSuppression #Privacy #Censorship
#Vitasoy requests personal info of staff's family and affiliations in order to pay their wages
On July 1, 2021, a 50-year-old Hong Kong man #LeungKinFai killed himself after stabbing a policeman. It later came to public attention that Leung was an employee at the beverage maker Vitasoy.
In August 2021, a union group expressed concern over reports that Vitasoy is asking its staff to declare any links they and their relatives have with various organisations.
Vitasoy has reportedly asked its workers in mid-August 2021 to sign an agreement to allow the company to collect their personal information as well as that of their family members, including any membership of associations or affiliation with different organisations.
According to the reports, the manufacturer also stated that it might not be able to pay workers if they decline to submit the information, and that such data would be handed over to law enforcement departments if required.
A worker who spoke to Stand News says he could not understand why the company
would want to collect information on their family members. "I'm the one working here, not my family. I feel like they're stripping me naked." Another worker said that it put him in a dilemma: "if I agree, I'd worry my personal information would be leaked. If I don't, I might not be able to feed my family."
According to RTHK reports, Confederation of Trade Unions' chief executive Mung Siu-tat said it is rare for companies to require information that is irrelevant to a person's job. "It's not just collecting the staff members' information, but also their families’. It makes people question if the practice has violated the privacy ordinance because it'd be collecting excessive data," he told an RTHK programme.
Mung said he was not convinced by Vitasoy's explanation that it was merely digitalising its human resources system. "Whether it's for salary payment or for signing them up for medical plans, it should already have got sufficient information to do so," he said. "It's not just updating [its system], it has changed the scope of the personal data it collects. It's collecting more private information that is irrelevant to the employment."
Mung said that it is not difficult to imagine that the move was linked to the stabbing incident on July 1.
Source: RTHK; Stand News #Aug28
https://thestandnews.page.link/isaoEeDhpy8KDmxs6
#PoliticalSuppression #Privacy #Censorship
#Google handed user data to Hong Kong authorities despite pledge after security law was enacted
//Google has provided user data to the Hong Kong government in response to three requests made between July and December last year, making it the first US tech giant to disclose its compliance with requests from the local authorities for user data after the national security law was enacted last June.
In total, the 42 legal requests it received during the six-month reporting period involved 46 user accounts, whilst the one emergency disclosure request involved a single account.
The tech giant said it still requires the vast majority of Hong Kong government requests to be processed through diplomatic procedures, including any national security law related requests…//
Read the full article
https://hongkongfp.com/2021/09/11/google-handed-user-data-to-hong-kong-authorities-despite-pledge-after-security-law-was-enacted/
Source: Hong Kong Free Press #Sept11
Image: Stand News
#Privacy #Data
//Google has provided user data to the Hong Kong government in response to three requests made between July and December last year, making it the first US tech giant to disclose its compliance with requests from the local authorities for user data after the national security law was enacted last June.
In total, the 42 legal requests it received during the six-month reporting period involved 46 user accounts, whilst the one emergency disclosure request involved a single account.
The tech giant said it still requires the vast majority of Hong Kong government requests to be processed through diplomatic procedures, including any national security law related requests…//
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https://hongkongfp.com/2021/09/11/google-handed-user-data-to-hong-kong-authorities-despite-pledge-after-security-law-was-enacted/
Source: Hong Kong Free Press #Sept11
Image: Stand News
#Privacy #Data
#Privacy #Tracking
HK Police Tracks Location with #LeaveHomeSafe, Police Officer Arrested in Assault Case
Source: Stand News #Sept18
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HK Police Tracks Location with #LeaveHomeSafe, Police Officer Arrested in Assault Case
Source: Stand News #Sept18
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