PCPD News Issue 32

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PCPD News 私隱專員公署通訊 • Issue no. 32
公署制裁42名刊登匿名招聘廣告的僱主
42 Employers Sanctioned for Placing Blind Recruitment Advertisements
42 名僱主由於刊登共 46 則匿名招聘廣
告（「匿名廣告」），即在沒有披露其
身份的情況下，收集求職者的個人資
料，被公署裁定違反了公平收集資料原
則，即《個人資料（私隱）條例》（「條
例」）的保障資料第 1(2) 原則。
調查
匿名廣告的問題持續。公署在去年審視
了刊登於七個主要招聘媒體（即 Career
Times、JobsDB、 青 雲 路、Recruit、
Classified Post、招職及求職廣場）的
9,016 則招聘廣告，當中發現有 311 則
匿名廣告（佔總數的 3.45%）。專員隨
機選了當中 71 則廣告展開調查，結果
向 69 名僱主發出了執行通知。而七個
招聘媒體中，有六個向公署承諾會做好
把關工作，採取措施制止匿名廣告。
今年，公署繼續進行類似的循規調查，
發現情況明顯有所改善。在 2015 年 5
月 3 日至 9 日期間，公署審閱了上述
七個媒體刊登的 12,849 則招聘廣告，
從中只找到 59 則匿名廣告（佔總數的
0.46%）並進行調查。整體而言，匿名
廣告的比例從去年的 3.45% 大幅回落至
今年的 0.46%。
公署的調查結果及決定
截至 2015 年 7 月 6 日，公署完成 46
宗調查。一些僱主試圖以下列理由對犯
錯作出辯解：
• 不知道法律規定
• 歸咎招聘媒體沒有告知、或提醒其
匿名廣告有不當之處
• 廣告內提供的回覆電郵地址，已包
含公司的專用域名，這足以辨識公
司的身份
• 廣告沒有明文收集應徵者的個人資
料
公署不接納上述的辯解。
執法行動
前任私隱專員已向涉事的 42 名僱主發
出執行通知，指令他們刪除已收集的個
人資料，及制定刊登招聘廣告的政策，
以符合條例的規定。
調查報告全文：
ch i / en f o r cemen t / commi s s i one r s _
findings/investigation_reports/files/
R15_8107_c.pdf
42 employers were sanctioned for
placing 46 job advertisements to solicit
job applicants’ personal data without
disclosing their identities. These blind
recruitment advertisements (“Blind
Ads”) breached the fairness principle for
personal data collection, that is, Data
Protection Principle (“DPP”) 1(2) of the
Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (the
“Ordinance”).
The Investigations
B l i nd Ads have been a pe r enn i a l
problem. Last year, the PCPD reviewed
9,016 recruitment advertisements on
seven major recruitment media: namely
Career Times, JobsDB, JobFinder, Recruit,
Classified Post, Jiu Jik, and JobMarket.
311 Blind Ads (3.45% of the total)
were identified. Of these, 71 Blind Ads
were investigated and as a result, all 69
employers concerned were sanctioned.
Further, six of the seven recruitment
media responded to the PCPD’s appeal
and made a pledge to take actions to
deter Blind Ads.
This year, the PCPD continued with
similar investigations and found that the
Blind Ads situation has improved. From
3 to 9 May 2015, 12,849 advertisements
placed in the same seven recruitment
media were examined and only 59 Blind
Ads (0.46% of total) which warranted
investigation were identified. Overall,
the proportion of Blind Ads has dropped
from 3.45% (last year) to 0.46% (this
year).
The PCPD’s Findings and
Determination
Up to 6 July 2015, investigations into 46
Blind Ads had been completed. Some
employers tried to exculpate themselves
from the mistake as follows:
• ignorance of the legal requirements
• blaming the recruitment media for
not advising them or reminding
them of the impropriety of their
Blind Ads
• incorporating the company’s domain
name in the return email address
was sufficient
• no express solicitation of personal
data in the advertisements.
These defences were all rejected by the
PCPD.
Enforcement Action
The f o rme r Commi s s i one r s e r ved
enforcement notices on the 42 employers
concerned directing them to delete the
personal data collected and to formulate
a company policy of placing recruitment
advertisement which complies with the
Ordinance.
Read the Investigation Report: www.
pcpd.org.hk/english/enforcement/
commissioners_findings/investigation_
reports/files/R15_8107_e.pdf
Further details on the procedural
and technological safeguards for the
collection and use of fingerprint data are
found in the “Guidance on Collection
and Use of Biometric Data” (www.
pcpd.org.hk/english/resources_centre/
publications/files/GN_biometric_e.pdf)
published by the PCPD. The guidance
provided also applies to other biometric
data used for recognition purposes
including DNA, retinal scans, facial
image, palm vein image, and handwriting
pattern.
Read the Investigation Report: (www.
pcpd.org.hk/english/enforcement/
commissioners_findings/investigation_
reports/files/R15_2308_e.pdf)