Protect online privacy

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner on Monday criticized a mobile phone application called Do No Evil (DNE) for seriously invading people’s privacy by disclosing their court and debt records.

The use of smartphones and Internet access continue to grow in Hong Kong but online privacy protection measures lag behind many other developed markets. The SAR government should examine the situation of threats to privacy posed by certain apps and step up regulation of online behavior in Hong Kong to ensure the IT industry abides by laws and regulations on privacy protection, while educating the public about the importance of guarding personal information in the cyber world.

Market penetration of smartphones in Hong Kong is among the highest in the world and offers software developers a fast-expanding arena for all kinds of apps providing easy access to a wide range of information, such as homemaking, social networking, daily necessities and job hunting. However, many of such apps are designed to collect user information and share it among all users, putting the privacy of the users and even their properties and safety at risk. DNE is a free app giving users easy access to court records of more than 2 million cases that can be abused for ill benefits just as easily.

Speedy progress in IT and telecommunication is no doubt making people’s daily life easier and richer, but increased convenience also puts user privacy at greater risk of being violated by ill-motivated individuals for their own profit at others’ expense through unauthorized retrieval, editing, compilation and disclosure. Like many people around the world, a growing number of Hong Kong residents have fallen victim to privacy theft through some apps they use in recent years and suffered financial losses as well as psychological and emotional duress.

Given the fast development of related technology the authorities concerned need to keep abreast with the advancement of the IT and telecom industries so as to maintain reasonably effective protection for user privacy with timely legislation and law enforcement. The users, on their part, should update their privacy invasion awareness constantly to stay safe online by exercising extra caution regarding all kinds of apps, with particular attention to the terms and conditions of privacy posted by the developers.

This is an excerpted translation of a Wen Wei Po editorial published on Aug 14.