I refer to the letter headlined, 'Flaws in Privacy Ordinance' (South China Morning Post, June 5), in which your reader expressed dissatisfaction over the promotional materials he has received. The Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance requires that personal data must not be used for a purpose other than the purposes for which the data were collected or directly related purposes. If an organisation wishes to use personal data that have already been collected for a different purpose, it should first obtain the express and voluntary consent of the individual concerned. Such consent cannot be inferred by default, so it is inappropriate for a company to ask its clients to call or write to confirm their objection to their personal data being used for other purposes. If the reader or any member of the public suspects that his/her privacy rights relating to personal data are being abused, a complaint can be lodged with the Privacy Commissioner's Office (PCO). The PCO's hotline number is 2827 2827. STEPHEN LAU Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data
