Octopus and Privacy
八達通儲存敏感個人資料 應主動配合私隱專員調查
文章日期:2010年6月22日

雙語社評齊齊聽

英語 (足本收聽)

普通話 (足本收聽)

【明報專訊】AN Octopus card contains information on its holder's rides and purchases. Much sensitive information is stored in a personalised Octopus card - its holder's name, identity card number and even credit card number. Octopus cards are like electronic identity cards and tracking devices. It is a concern whether their holders' privacy is protected. Yesterday, Privacy Commissioner Roderick Woo made it clear that his office would investigate on its own initiative whether Octopus Card Limited had violated the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance in handling its customers' personal data.


英語

八達通不單記錄了持卡人乘坐交通工具及購物的資料,個人八達通帳戶更包括了姓名、身分證號碼甚至信用卡帳戶等敏感個人資料,猶如個人電子身分證及追蹤器,客戶私隱有否獲得保障備受關注。個人資料私隱專員吳斌昨日表明,將主動調查八達通公司處理客戶資料時有否違反《私隱條例》。


普通話

As such data have much to do with huge business interests, the public have long harboured worry. At an obscure spot in the right lower part of the company's home page a link called "personal data policy" can be found. There one may access a long document in small print that is about what the company does with personal data. According to this document, the purposes for which card holders' personal data may be used include "designing new or improving existing services provided by us, our subsidiaries and our affiliates for customers' use" and "marketing of goods and/or services by us, our subsidiaries, our affiliates or any of our selected business partners". We do not think many Octopus card holders have perused that statement. But what do those expressions mean? Would Octopus Cards Limited sell card holders' personal data to its "selected business partners"? In what circumstances would it do so? How does it protect card holders' privacy? The public are full of doubts and suspicions.


英語

由於資料庫涉及龐大的商業利益,早已引起公眾質疑。在八達通公司網頁右下角一個不起眼的位置,可找到一個名為「個人資料聲明」的連結,內附一份數頁長、文字密麻麻的文件,列明八達通公司如何處理個人資料,當中提及「持有人的個人資料可作下列用途」,其中兩項是「設計本公司、其附屬公司及聯屬公司供客戶使用而提供的新服務」,以及「推廣本公司、其附屬公司、聯屬公司或任何選定商務伙伴的貨品及╱或服務」。這份聲明相信絕大部分八達通持有人都沒有詳細閱讀過,但這些字句到底意味什麼?八達通公司會否把持卡人的資料出售予其他「選定商務伙伴」?在什麼情况下會出售?持卡人的私隱又受到什麼保障?公眾仍是滿腹疑團。


普通話

Octopus Cards Limited is not an ordinary private company. It was jointly set up by the MTR Corp, KCRC, KMB, City-Bus and the Hong Kong and Yaumatei Ferry in 1994. It expanded into the retail sector in 2000, when the Hong Kong Monetary Authority issued it with a deposit taking company licence. Now Octopus is very much a symbol of Hong Kong. Octopus Cards Limited is essentially one of Hong Kong's leading public utility company.


英語

八達通並非一家普通私人機構,1994年由地鐵、九鐵、九巴、城巴和香港小輪共同組成,2000年更獲金管局簽發「接受存款公司」牌照,正式進軍零售業。如今八達通已經猶如香港的代表。八達通根本就是一家香港重點公共事業。


普通話

The company, which has a very special status, holds important personal data of Hong Kong people. It must tell the public in detail how it protects its customers' privacy. It must not keep citizens in the dark or just deal with this matter casually. It does not do just to issue a statement saying it "strictly complies with the requirements of the ordinance and protects its customers' right to privacy" as it did yesterday.


英語

這家有獨特地位的公司,持有港人重要的個人資料,公司如何保障客戶的個人私隱,必須詳細交代,不能黑箱作業、馬虎了事,更絕非如昨日般發出聲明強調「嚴格奉行法例之要求,保障客戶私隱之權利」,就能交差。


普通話

It is indeed a major technological feat Hong Kong has achieved that Octopus cards have become popular. Octopus cards make life much more convenient in the SAR. They save people the trouble of keeping or giving change. The technology is indeed well worth introducing to other places. Nevertheless, technology is a double-edged sword. If Octopus data are misused, Hong Kong people's privacy will be violated. It is hoped that Octopus Cards Limited will cooperate with investigators of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and tell them on its own initiative how it protects card holders' privacy. If it does so, Hong Kong people's doubts will be dispelled, and they will be particularly proud when Octopus cards are used in all parts of China and even other parts of the world.


英語

八達通的成功普及,確實是香港的一項重要科技成就,為港人生活帶來極大方便,免卻了輔幣找贖之苦,極有向外推廣的價值;但科技是雙刃刀,若使用不當,將賠上港人私隱被侵的代價。若八達通公司能主動配合私隱專員的調查,主動交代如何保障卡主的私隱,讓公眾釋疑,日後八達通能在全中國甚至其他國家「一卡通行」時,港人定將倍感光榮。


普通話

明報社評2010.05.28

Presented by lecturers of Hong Kong Community College, PolyU and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Raymond Ng

Lecturer

Hong Kong Community College

http://www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/index.php?lang=eng&cms=137

趙咏冰

講師

香港理工大學香港專上學院

http://www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/index.php?cms=129&lang=big5

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