A lawmaker yesterday urged supermarkets to list their terms covering the transfer of personal data of membership card holders in a clear and precise manner instead of the current practice of using very small print.
Democratic Party legislator Fred Li Wah-ming was speaking after media reports said supermarkets which had transferred personal data of membership card holders to local and overseas subsidiaries and business partners had only listed their terms in print as small as 1 millimetre high. Li suggested the government consider amending the law to set regulations on the terms and conditions listed on products and services, including membership.
A Consumer Council spokeswoman reminded consumers to examine the details of terms and conditions of membership application, including those listed in small print.
The Octopus Card Company has shared card holders' data with business partners, and some loyalty membership card operators, including ParknShop and Jusco, have also been found to have transferred members' details to their subsidiaries or business partners.
In the terms and conditions of ParknShop's Money Back membership programme, it is stated that the supermarket 'may disclose and transfer your personal data [whether in Hong Kong or abroad] to any companies within Hutchison Whampoa Limited, Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited, their respective subsidiaries and any company in which the same has an interest [collectively 'Hutchison Group'] for the marketing of goods and services by us and/or the Hutchison Group ...' These terms are written in small print, which is not easy to read on the application form.
The application form for the J-card issued by the Jusco department store and supermarket states: 'Information [of members] may be passed to third parties, to suppliers and organisations participating in the Privilege Benefit Scheme or any promotion to facilitate the issue of benefit to members and communication of news information and advertising and promotional material to members.'