City BeatSecurity worries stymie hi-tech cooperation between Hong Kong and mainland China
- So many people are on WeChat now, especially north of the border
- But in Hong Kong fears linger that private information may be misused
“Let’s exchange business cards to stay in touch,” used to be the refrain when making new contacts.
These days it has been replaced in mainland China by “Do you have a WeChat account? Why don’t we add each other as friends – it’s more direct, convenient and quicker.”
On a recent business trip, I heard my peers from the local media jokingly ask if the popular messaging app, developed by Chinese internet giant Tencent, had made business cards obsolete.
Of course, most people still exchange business cards with new acquaintances, but the ritual is accompanied by making “friends” on the multipurpose app to follow up.
More and more Hongkongers are using WeChat these days, for messaging as well as for e-payments, along with other popular apps such as Alipay of Alibaba, which owns the South China Morning Post.
However, from time to time, people here are also concerned enough to ask some troubling questions, fearing their private information may be misused. What about their personal data and details of their online transactions? Can they be properly protected by mainland companies?