The computer sector plans to issue guidelines to repair shops on the handling of sensitive data to allay customers' privacy fears following the celebrity sex-pictures scandal. Shops that adopt the guidelines would display a sign and sign privacy agreements with customers. Chamber of Hong Kong Computer Industry president Jacky Cheung Yiu-shing, said the photo scandal - in which pictures taken from the computer of singer-actor Edison Chen Koon-hei were distributed on the internet - had thrown a scare into computer users. 'Some people even feel frightened to have their computers fixed if they are damaged,' Mr Cheung said. A code of practice is being drawn up by another industry group, the Internet Professional Association, to advise repair workers and shop operators on the law and how to handle data in customers' computers. Association chairman Samson Tam Wai-ho said details would be disclosed in one to two weeks. 'What I can tell you now is that repair workers will learn how to try to protect customers' privacy so that customers can have more confidence when having their computers fixed,' Mr Tam said. 'Under the guidelines, workers will sign an agreement with customers on the handling of private data, undertaking not to read any of the data stored in the computer and not to disclose it to third parties.' Mr Tam said 1,000 association members had promised to follow the guidelines. 'These shops will have certificates and customers will be able to look for them in shops for repair work,' he said, adding that the association was consulting police, the Privacy Commissioner and the Consumer Council for more advice. Pictures of celebrities engaging in sex were taken from a faulty laptop belonging to Chen when it was taken for repair and were uploaded on to the internet in late January. In a public apology last month, Chen said he had never intended to show the pictures to anyone and had decided to quit Hong Kong show business indefinitely. Police have arrested nine people over the case.
