PCPD News Issue 30

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PCPD News 私隱專員公署通訊 • Issue no. 30 公署動態
PCPD in Action
的問題是該些中介公司在其網站展示申
請人、其家屬及其前僱主（包括香港僱
主）的個人資料。
外傭的工作性質有別於其他工種，她們
需要長時間與僱主及其家庭成員共同生
活，朝夕相對的程度猶如家人般關係密
切。因此，私隱專員接納該些中介公司
為協助準僱主挑選合適家傭，而在網上
披露大部分申請人提供的個人資料（包
括其相片）。然而，私隱專員不認同中
介公司在網上披露申請人的姓名、住
址、護照號碼或香港身份證號碼，他認
為這些資料無助準僱主挑選合適外傭。
基於同一原因，在網上披露申請人家屬
的個人資料（例如姓名、年齡及職業）
及其前僱主的姓名及住址也是不被接
納的。
私隱專員表示：「中介公司應該對申請
人提供的個人資料逐一慎重考慮，絕不
可以在網上披露與申請人求職目的並無
直接關係的個人資料。這做法與直接向
親身到中介公司的準僱主披露個人資料
截然不同，分別是申請人提供的個人資
料一旦在網上公開，便可能被不知名的
第三者隨意查閱、複製甚至永久保存，
及與其他零碎但屬同一人的個人資料整
合。任何人也難以預料及控制誰人可以
再次使用有關資料。」
改善措施及執法行動
私隱專員欣悉部分外傭中介公司已在調
查期間採取了相關的改善措施。為確保
有關機構完全遵守條例規定，私隱專員
已向該十家外傭中介公司及五間經營補
習中介網站的公司分別送達執行通知，
指令他們要採取措施糾正尚有違例的情
況，例如採用編號以代替在網上指示申
請人姓名等，以及防止違例的情況再次
發生。
機構及消費者都必須了解，進行電子商
貿活動及使用網上服務平台可能帶來私
隱風險，例如資料外洩、資料被不明人
士再使用，從而對當事人造成不必要的
滋擾及身份盜竊。經營網站的機構須確
保它們收集及使用的個人資料真正符合
業務所需，而消費者習以為常地在網上
向服務供應商提供個人資料亦應多加警
惕，不要因為急於獲取某些服務而白白
犧牲自己的個人資料私隱。
私隱專員補充：「作為良好的行事方式
（而非只為遵守條例規定），即使申請
人的有關個人資料客觀地有助準僱主挑
選合適家傭，我建議外傭中介公司在網
上披露該些資料前，最好先取得申請人
的同意。鑑於網上披露資料所帶來的私
隱風險，及部分資料屬敏感性質，這良
好的行事方式是更妥善的做法。外傭中
介公司須尊重申請人的選擇，不應上載
申請人表示不同意在網上披露的個人資
料。」
公署將聯同有關商會於 2014 年 12 月至
2015 年 1 月期間舉行三場講座，協助
外傭中介公司了解條例的規定。
調查報告全文：
（補 習 中 介 網 站）
tc_chi/enforcement/commissioners_
findings/investigation_reports/files/
R14_19675_c.pdf
（外 籍 家 庭 傭 工 中 介 公 司）www.
pcpd . o r g . hk / t c _ ch i / en f o r c emen t /
commissioners_findings/investigation_
reports/files/R14_1382_c.pdf
The PCPD published two investigation
reports on 20 November 2014. One
report revealed six tutorial service
agency websites in breach of Data
Protection Principle ("DPP") 1(1) of the
Ordinance for unnecessarily collecting
the Hong Kong Identity Card ("HKID
Card") numbers of private tutors and
the personal particulars of their contact
persons during online registration.
About 520,000 persons were affected.
The other investigation report revealed
10 major employment agencies for
domestic helpers in breach of DPP3 for
posting on their websites the personal
da t a o f ove r s e a s j ob app l i c an t s ,
members of their families and their
past employers (including Hong Kong
employers).
Tutorial Service Agency Websites
The investigation covered five website
operators and six websites. Job seekers
who wished to be enrolled in the
placement service must provide their
HKID Card number and a contact
person with name, telephone number
and relationship with the job seeker.
This amounted to excessive collection
of personal data by the websites.
The websites argued that collection of
the HKID Card numbers was necessary
to authenticate the identity of the job
seekers to prevent impersonation and
other improper or fraudulent activities
which could be committed by job
seekers to the detriment of the websites
and/or the parents and students. In
fact, the website operators are not
employment agencies regulated under
the Employment Ordinance, so they
have no legal obligation to collect
job seekers' HKID Card numbers.
Ope r a t i ng on a l ow- co s t mode l ,
they do not interview job seekers in
person for employment checking and
identity verification, so collecting job
seekers' HKID Card numbers online for
identification is a farce.
The website operators also explained
t h a t t h e y r e q u i r e t h e n ame a n d
telephone number of the job seeker's
con t ac t pe r s on a s a f a l l - back o r
emergency contact in the event the
job seeker cannot be reached or gets
into trouble. While these explanations
may make sense on some occasions
for some job seekers, job seekers must
be given the option of not providing a
contact person with name and telephone
number. The mandatory provision of the
data should not be made a prerequisite
for service enrolment.
Employment Agencies for Foreign
Domestic Helpers
The investigation covered 10 major
emp l oymen t agenc i e s f o r f o r e i gn
domestic helpers registered under the
Employment Ordinance. Their business
is to recruit job seekers from overseas
for placement as domestic helpers with
employers in Hong Kong. The major
problems revealed in the investigation
w e r e p o s t i n g o n t h e a g e n c i e s '
respective websites the personal data
provided by the job seekers, which
related to the job seekers themselves,
their family members and their past
emp l oye r s , i nc l ud i ng Hong Kong
employers.
Domestic helpers perform their jobs
in unique circumstances, in that they
live with the family of their employer
and are often treated as a member of