https://www.scmp.com/rss/502005/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Industry figures in Hong Kong’s technology sector have said Telegram should discuss compliance measures regarding the city’s doxxing legalisation with the government, with one supporting authorities taking action against the messaging platform if it had violated the law. The push on Thursday to clamp down on doxxing came as an administrator of a channel on the app was sentenced to six and a half years in jail after he was convicted of conspiring to incite others to riot from October 2019 to June... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3178266/hong-kong-privacy-watchdog-considers-blocking-telegram?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3178266/hong-kong-privacy-watchdog-considers-blocking-telegram?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 May 2022 15:27:48 +0000 A company in central China is in hot water for making its employees send screenshots of their phone battery status to management to ensure their staff is not wasting time when they could be working. The company, which is based in Wuhan, in Hubei province, and whose name was not disclosed, made their staff show their remaining battery power before getting off work for the day. A viral post on Weibo showed that the staff must send a direct message on WeChat with an attached screenshot of their... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/social-welfare/article/3174989/demand-chinese-company-check-employee-phone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/social-welfare/article/3174989/demand-chinese-company-check-employee-phone?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Apr 2022 05:10:30 +0000 At 37 years old, entrepreneur Pavel Valeryevich Durov is a hugely successful and outspoken tech billionaire who is also a champion of free speech and data privacy. Having amassed a personal net worth running into the billions, Durov’s life is an interesting story that many may not know about. So who exactly is the Russian-born tech wizard? Here are five fascinating facts about the dashing developer, who has also recently taken to sharing shirtless snaps on his personal Instagram. 1. He created... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3172355/meet-pavel-durov-handsome-tech-billionaire-who-founded?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3172355/meet-pavel-durov-handsome-tech-billionaire-who-founded?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Mar 2022 04:37:31 +0000 Hong Kong’s electoral office has apologised after an employee failed to follow guidelines and sent the personal details of about 15,000 voters to a random email address. The Registration and Electoral Office (REO) on Friday said the staff member intended to send files containing electors’ particulars to her personal email address on March 23. An investigation found she typed in an incorrect email address and sent the data to the unknown recipient. “The REO has immediately notified the recipient... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3171919/hong-kong-electoral-office-apologies-after-employee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3171919/hong-kong-electoral-office-apologies-after-employee?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Mar 2022 13:56:39 +0000 People are still debating the relative merits of the “zero Covid” and “living with Covid” approaches. Hong Kong has pursued the “zero Covid” path in alignment with mainland China but has failed to achieve the same results. The city’s public health system has been stretched to capacity during the fifth wave, raising questions about what is lacking in our strategy. China’s “dynamic zero Covid” strategy involves the timely identification of Covid-19 cases, regardless of whether they display... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3170058/how-hong-kong-can-improve-contact-tracing-achieve-zero-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3170058/how-hong-kong-can-improve-contact-tracing-achieve-zero-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Mar 2022 22:45:23 +0000 A Shanghai woman has claimed online that a hotpot chain has been secretly keeping private customer information in its database including spending habits and notes on physical appearance. The woman who used the profile name Naliyouzhimiao, claimed on social networking and e-commerce platform Xiaohongshu that Haidilao Hotpot had been tracking her visits to the restaurant. She was surprised when her post became a popular search on Weibo after many others shared similar experiences with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3168271/chinese-hotpot-chain-haidilao-hot-water-keeping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3168271/chinese-hotpot-chain-haidilao-hot-water-keeping?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Feb 2022 01:00:15 +0000 China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has ordered the rectification of 107 apps, including a live-streaming platform from smartphone maker Xiaomi and hotel booking apps for Shangri-La and IHG, over violations related to excessive data collection and app permissions in an ongoing effort to rein in the usage of consumer data. The list also includes an app from American hotel chain Super 8, the online clinical service from Chinese insurer Taikang, and two apps from Offcn... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3167659/beijing-names-another-107-apps-data-violations-including-ones-xiaomi-shangri?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3167659/beijing-names-another-107-apps-data-violations-including-ones-xiaomi-shangri?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Feb 2022 06:30:17 +0000 Facebook parent Meta Platforms’ stark warning of a retreat from Europe may just be the start, as one of the region’s top privacy watchdogs prepares a decision that could paralyse transatlantic data flows and risk billions in revenue for technology giants. Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, which polices the Silicon Valley tech giants that have flocked to the nation, is soon to weigh in on the legality of so-called standard contractual clauses (SCCs) used by Meta, Alphabet’s Google and others... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3167568/meta-google-other-american-tech-giants-face-eu-data-blackout-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3167568/meta-google-other-american-tech-giants-face-eu-data-blackout-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Feb 2022 09:21:19 +0000 Meihua International Medical Technologies is poised to become the first Chinese company to list in the US in nearly seven months. A successful IPO could lay the groundwork for other Chinese issuers, after a regulatory crackdown by Beijing froze out mainland-based companies. The Jiangsu province based disposable medical-device maker is expected to price its IPO this week, according to the New York Stock Exchange website. Meihua is seeking to raise about US$57.5 million on Nasdaq from the sale of... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3167036/jiangsu-medical-device-firm-meihua-set-break-seven-month?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3167036/jiangsu-medical-device-firm-meihua-set-break-seven-month?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Feb 2022 14:52:26 +0000 Adding a tracking function to Hong Kong’s “Leave Home Safe” Covid-19 contact-tracing app would not violate data protection laws, the city’s privacy commissioner said on Thursday, under questioning from lawmakers pressing for the inclusion of such a feature amid a surge in coronavirus cases. Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data Ada Chung Lai-ling said the existing law did not preclude an operator from incorporating a tracking function into a mobile application, citing social media apps as an... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3166508/tracking-function-hong-kongs-leave-home-safe-app?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3166508/tracking-function-hong-kongs-leave-home-safe-app?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Feb 2022 07:55:22 +0000 Facebook parent Meta Platforms has announced a sweeping crackdown on surveillance companies that it says have used its social media websites to spy on people in more than 100 countries. In a report published on Thursday, Meta identified six companies from Israel, India, and North Macedonia, in addition to an unknown entity in China, which it said carried out “indiscriminate” surveillance targeting thousands of people. Meta said it had blocked infrastructure associated with the companies, issued... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3160055/meta-cracks-down-firms-spied-users-100-countries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3160055/meta-cracks-down-firms-spied-users-100-countries?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Dec 2021 04:18:35 +0000 Chinese authorities are getting tough on data privacy violations, penalising a leading smart electric car maker for the first time for such misconduct. Regulators in Shanghai fined Xpeng Motors 100,000 yuan (US$15,710) for collecting customers’ information without their consent at its showrooms in the city. They found an Xpeng subsidiary had installed 22 facial-recognition cameras in seven showrooms between January and June, collecting customers’ facial data without proper authorisation,... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3159950/xpeng-becomes-chinas-first-smart-ev-maker-be-fined-data?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3159950/xpeng-becomes-chinas-first-smart-ev-maker-be-fined-data?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Dec 2021 12:00:22 +0000 Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog has made its first arrest under a new law criminalising doxxing, detaining a 31-year-old man in West Kowloon. The Chinese national was arrested on Monday after the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data received a report by the alleged victim accusing the suspect of posting their personal details to an online platform, said Lo Dik-fan, of the watchdog’s criminal investigation division. “This is the first action we have taken since doxxing was... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3159555/hong-kongs-privacy-watchdog-makes-first-arrest-under?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3159555/hong-kongs-privacy-watchdog-makes-first-arrest-under?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Dec 2021 12:16:23 +0000 After almost two years of being haunted and immobilised by Covid-19, there is ambiguity, debate and disagreement over what ought to be a simple answer to a simple question: who has managed the pandemic best? We could look at the data on cases and deaths. Since January last year, the World Health Organization says there have been more than 258 million cases and 5.16 million deaths – with 45 per cent of the death toll in the Americas and 29 per cent in Europe. This suggests many of the right... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/world/article/3157376/lessons-covid-19-pandemic-are-clear-are-we-ready-apply-them?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/world/article/3157376/lessons-covid-19-pandemic-are-clear-are-we-ready-apply-them?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Nov 2021 19:30:28 +0000 China’s central bank said it has received an application for a personal-credit scoring venture between Ant Group, state-backed Zhejiang Tourism Investment Group and four other investors, allowing the fintech giant to move ahead with its business overhaul. Qiantang Credit, which will have 1 billion yuan (US$157 million) in registered capital, will be 35 per cent each owned by a unit of Ant Group and Zhejiang Tourism, according to a notice published by the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) on its... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3157557/ant-group-applies-chinas-central-bank-set-personal-credit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3157557/ant-group-applies-chinas-central-bank-set-personal-credit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Nov 2021 13:30:47 +0000 The world’s first international ethics guidelines for artificial intelligence, which ban the technology’s use for “social scoring or mass surveillance purposes”, have been adopted by a United Nations specialised agency that AI powerhouses the United States and Israel withdrew from in 2018. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), which has 193 member states and is widely credited for protecting landmarks known as World Heritage Sites, said the guidelines... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3157378/un-agency-pushes-global-ai-ethics-norm-bans-use-technology-social?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3157378/un-agency-pushes-global-ai-ethics-norm-bans-use-technology-social?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Nov 2021 15:00:28 +0000 Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a powerful tool around the world, but advances in the technology have also introduced a big challenge in terms of its ethical use, experts said on Thursday at the South China Morning Post’s annual China Conference. “AI is genuinely a huge challenge to data privacy,” said Alan Chiu, managing partner at Hong Kong law firm ELLALAN. “Big data analysis, at least in some ways, inherently conflicts or stretches the limits of fundamental data protection... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3137723/basic-ethical-questions-transparency-and-bias-ai-remain-unsolved?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3137723/basic-ethical-questions-transparency-and-bias-ai-remain-unsolved?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jun 2021 15:00:00 +0000 Health and fitness apps, which help mobile-phone users track everything from calorie intake to menstruation dates, can access and share personal data in a way that’s concerning, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal. The analysis of more than 20,000 apps found that inadequate privacy disclosures for many of them prevented users from making informed choices about their data. One third could collect user email addresses and many more transmitted data to third parties such... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3137597/many-health-apps-pose-privacy-risk-fail-adequately-inform-users?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3137597/many-health-apps-pose-privacy-risk-fail-adequately-inform-users?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jun 2021 02:47:23 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Bitcoin is gaining more privacy features as concern increases over the use of the cryptocurrency during a recent spate of ransomware attacks. The most significant update in four years to the computer software that underpins the world’s largest digital token was approved this past weekend with little fanfare. In past years, fights among the groups known as miners who run the network were characterised as a civil war and led to offshoots such as Bitcoin Cash. While the main advance makes the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3137438/bitcoin-get-more-privacy-features-taproot-update-making-it-harder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3137438/bitcoin-get-more-privacy-features-taproot-update-making-it-harder?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jun 2021 01:58:25 +0000 Hong Kong’s government plans to allow a longer list of professionals to gain access to the personal data of corporate directors and executives, in a refinement of a plan to crack down on money laundering and financial misdemeanour. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) would add practising accountants, lawyers, bankers to a list of “specified persons” who can get access to the personal data of corporate directors and executives, said the FSTB Secretary Christopher Hui... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3137090/hong-kong-widen-access-corporate-executives-data?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3137090/hong-kong-widen-access-corporate-executives-data?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Jun 2021 11:47:53 +0000 Last month, the government said it planned to offer tourism industry staff short-term jobs in its vaccination centres. It set academic and experience requirements for the different positions. Given that the registration procedure and clerical support required are supposed to be routine and uncomplicated, I believe qualified participants should be capable of performing the duties effectively. I appreciate the government’s intention to help tour guides whose livelihoods have been affected by the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3131123/hong-kong-opens-vaccination-centre-jobs-data-privacy-concern?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3131123/hong-kong-opens-vaccination-centre-jobs-data-privacy-concern?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Apr 2021 22:55:06 +0000 China’s internet giants are each expected to create an independent oversight body for protecting users’ information under the upcoming data privacy law, according to a report by state-run Xinhua News Agency. The much-anticipated Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL), the country’s first set of rules to safeguard personal data, is undergoing a second round of review, as Beijing tightens its scrutiny of how Big Tech companies gather and make use of private data. The initial version of PIPL... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3131145/chinas-big-tech-firms-create-user-information-oversight-bodies-under?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3131145/chinas-big-tech-firms-create-user-information-oversight-bodies-under?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Apr 2021 12:30:16 +0000 The use of social media, including instant messaging apps, is certainly part of everyday life for people in Hong Kong. Nonetheless, such use also carries inherent, non-negligible privacy risks in relation to their personal data. According to a survey conducted by my office last year, 77 per cent of respondents had an account with a social media platform and 48 per cent used that platform on a daily basis. In addition, 93 per cent of respondents used smartphones, of which 98 per cent had... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3130114/personal-data-and-privacy-social-media-users-must-realise-theres?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3130114/personal-data-and-privacy-social-media-users-must-realise-theres?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Apr 2021 01:15:14 +0000 Fans of James Bond will be familiar with scenes showing the British spy sauntering into a hotel room, before looking around and using a handheld counter-intelligence device to sweep for bugs and hidden cameras. Well, given the scale and multitude of privacy violations in China these days, it’s smart to be as alert as Bond. If possible, arm yourself with a bug detector next time you plan to check into a hotel or Airbnb, visit a changing room or have a massage – chances are high that you might... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3128985/china-has-privacy-problem-new-data-laws-could-help-curb-worst?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3128985/china-has-privacy-problem-new-data-laws-could-help-curb-worst?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Apr 2021 01:30:19 +0000 The most daunting challenge Chinese tech firms faced abroad used to be convincing consumers of the quality of their products. But the rapid rise of big names such as TikTok and Xiaomi has given way to a new obstacle that experts say is harder to beat: persuading foreign governments that Chinese businesses are only trying to pursue profits rather than Beijing’s political agenda.  Around the world, suspicions have been rising about Chinese tech companies’ relations with authorities at home. The... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3128967/chinese-tech-firms-cant-win-trust-west-companies-arent-biggest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3128967/chinese-tech-firms-cant-win-trust-west-companies-arent-biggest?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Apr 2021 00:00:25 +0000 Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog has renewed its demand that Facebook notify its 3 million users in the city that their personal data has been leaked online, after the US social media giant failed to respond to a similar request made two days ago. The city’s privacy commissioner for personal data, Ada Chung Lai-ling, on Tuesday said her office first contacted Facebook’s Hong Kong office on Sunday, the day news broke of a massive leak involving more than 500 million users worldwide. “We wrote to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3128505/privacy-watchdog-demands-facebook-tell-hong-kong-users?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3128505/privacy-watchdog-demands-facebook-tell-hong-kong-users?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Apr 2021 11:31:42 +0000 Hong Kong’s courts have stopped providing reporters with personal details of those facing trial and the police officers handling their cases, on the day the city’s leader said journalists should not enjoy “privilege”. According to a statement from the judiciary on Wednesday, the city’s courts have begun redacting ID card numbers, addresses and dates of birth of defendants in documents accessible to journalists. Details of officers handling cases were also concealed, with the judiciary citing the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3127843/hong-kong-judiciary-says-courts-will-withhold-details?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3127843/hong-kong-judiciary-says-courts-will-withhold-details?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Mar 2021 14:51:35 +0000 Journalists have no privilege to access personal information, Hong Kong’s leader said on Tuesday, after media groups expressed concern that press freedom would be undermined by a government proposal to restrict public viewing of some data in the Companies Registry.  Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the amended restriction was also needed to prevent the “weaponisation” of personal information, as well as false information and hate speech online. The proposal, outlined in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3127538/proposal-restrict-access-information-hong-kong-company?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3127538/proposal-restrict-access-information-hong-kong-company?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Mar 2021 23:00:18 +0000 When Sharon Liu, a finance professional in the eastern Chinese city of Tianjin, bought a flat through an online brokerage platform late last year, she never agreed to give strangers her personal information. Now, up to three times a day, she receives calls from people she has never met who know her full name and home address. “They’re seriously disturbing my work and personal life,” said Liu, who answers them for fear of missing important calls. “Given that they know my address and my phone... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3127485/build-digital-china-country-must-first-deal-its-rampant-black-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3127485/build-digital-china-country-must-first-deal-its-rampant-black-market?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Mar 2021 20:00:21 +0000 TikTok, the short video-sharing app owned by Chinese company ByteDance, does not pose a national security threat to the US, a new study by the University of Toronto-affiliated research group Citizen Lab concluded, as the Biden administration continues to review the potential risks posed by Chinese apps to determine whether they should be banned. In a report published on Monday, the Citizen Lab said it found no “overt data transmission” by TikTok to the Chinese government since the app did not... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3126593/tiktok-sending-data-china-latest-citizen-lab-research-says-probably?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3126593/tiktok-sending-data-china-latest-citizen-lab-research-says-probably?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Mar 2021 07:40:17 +0000 Apple Inc said it will apply App Store rules to all apps globally after reports that Chinese app developers are preparing workarounds for the company’s upcoming limits on ad tracking. The Cupertino, California-based technology giant plans to release a software update called iOS 14.5 in coming weeks that requires users to give permission before apps can track them across other services and websites for targeted advertising. Facebook Inc and other digital ad companies worry that most people will... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3126072/apple-warns-against-unauthorised-iphone-tracking-chinese-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3126072/apple-warns-against-unauthorised-iphone-tracking-chinese-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Mar 2021 01:30:43 +0000 China has been ranked the world’s worst offender for its invasive use of biometric data, according to a study of 96 countries by a UK-based technology firm. Costa Rica, Iran and the United States were the second, third and fourth worst offenders. African nations including Ethiopia, and European countries Portugal and Ireland had the best practices based on how little data they collected or how strong their rules are for protecting collected data. The report, titled “Protected: Biometric data:... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3122187/biometric-data-collection-china-most-invasive-user-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3122187/biometric-data-collection-china-most-invasive-user-world?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Feb 2021 20:15:17 +0000 Using an app on your smartphone to track whether you’ve been in close contact with people who have contracted Covid-19 seems – at first glance – like a perfectly plausible way to use new technology to help tackle a global health crisis that has sickened millions and brought the world economy to its knees. There’s just one problem – data privacy. Tracing the whereabouts of infected patients has become a central plank in government efforts around the world to contain the spread of the novel... https://www.scmp.com/tech/privacy-concerns-have-led-more-cautious-approach-contact-tracing-west-compared-china/article/3087548?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/privacy-concerns-have-led-more-cautious-approach-contact-tracing-west-compared-china/article/3087548?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jun 2020 21:00:19 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Whenever Li Xin wants to take a stroll through a local park in Shanghai, she needs to pull out her phone and show a QR code. If it’s not the right color, she won’t be allowed in. The same goes for entering her office. Her code was even checked when she was enrolling her child in kindergarten. Color-based health codes have become China’s most widely used method of trying to keep the spread of Covid-19 under control. With the danger having subsided in... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3087437/china-wants-keep-health-codes-after-pandemic-users-arent-so-sure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3087437/china-wants-keep-health-codes-after-pandemic-users-arent-so-sure?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2020 13:24:19 +0000 Whenever Li Xin wants to take a stroll through a local park in Shanghai, she needs to pull out her phone and show a QR code. If it’s not the right color, she won’t be allowed in. The same goes for entering her office. Her code was even checked when she was enrolling her child in kindergarten. Color-based health codes have become China’s most widely used method of trying to keep the spread of Covid-19 under control. With the danger having subsided in most of China, the QR codes have also started... https://www.scmp.com/tech/china-wants-keep-health-codes-after-pandemic-users-arent-so-sure/article/3087398?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/china-wants-keep-health-codes-after-pandemic-users-arent-so-sure/article/3087398?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2020 13:24:15 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Health codes were introduced in Hangzhou to help combat the spread of Covid-19. But now it looks like the codes might outlive the virus, with city residents being scored and ranked based on their health status, according to a proposal by local government officials. Since February, people in cities across China have been assigned QR codes on their smartphones that come in either red, yellow or green. Each color is supposed to indicate the likelihood... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3086024/chinese-city-introduced-health-codes-wants-track-drinking-and-smoking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3086024/chinese-city-introduced-health-codes-wants-track-drinking-and-smoking?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2020 21:00:15 +0000 Health codes were introduced in Hangzhou to help combat the spread of Covid-19. But now it looks like the codes might outlive the virus, with city residents being scored and ranked based on their health status, according to a proposal by local government officials. Since February, people in cities across China have been assigned QR codes on their smartphones that come in either red, yellow or green. Each color is supposed to indicate the likelihood someone had contact with the new coronavirus,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/chinese-city-introduced-health-codes-wants-track-drinking-and-smoking/article/3085913?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/chinese-city-introduced-health-codes-wants-track-drinking-and-smoking/article/3085913?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2020 21:00:13 +0000 A group of privacy advocacy organizations is filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission on Thursday alleging that the popular app TikTok violated a consent decree and a law protecting children’s privacy online.   The Center for Digital Democracy, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and others said TikTok had failed to take down all videos made by children under the age of 13, as it agreed to do under a consent agreement with the FTC announced in February 2019. TikTok spokeswoman... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tiktok-violated-us-rules-protecting-childrens-privacy-say-advocacy-groups/article/3084379?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tiktok-violated-us-rules-protecting-childrens-privacy-say-advocacy-groups/article/3084379?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2020 10:00:27 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS When the data leaks started, people from Wuhan were the first victims. But now people across China are grappling with whether the personal information they surrendered to fight the pandemic is being well protected. Around the time of the Lunar New Year holiday in late January, many people traveling back to their hometowns from Wuhan were receiving less-than-friendly phone calls and WeChat messages from strangers. Some angrily told them to return to the... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3084064/personal-information-collected-fight-covid-19-being-spread-online-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3084064/personal-information-collected-fight-covid-19-being-spread-online-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2020 13:27:42 +0000 When the data leaks started, people from Wuhan were the first victims. But now people across China are grappling with whether the personal information they surrendered to fight the pandemic is being well protected. Around the time of the Lunar New Year holiday in late January, many people traveling back to their hometowns from Wuhan were receiving less-than-friendly phone calls and WeChat messages from strangers. Some angrily told them to return to the virus-stricken city. Others asked if they... https://www.scmp.com/tech/personal-information-collected-fight-covid-19-being-spread-online-china/article/3083825?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/personal-information-collected-fight-covid-19-being-spread-online-china/article/3083825?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2020 13:27:40 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS When Xiaomi faced criticism over excessive data collection practices in its default Android web browser, the company said there was nothing abnormal about its practices. But now the company seems to be retreating slightly from this stance. An update on Monday addresses one of the main concerns about its browser by letting users toggle data collection in incognito mode. Xiaomi said in a statement that it's released updates for all three of its browsers... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3082812/xiaomi-browser-update-lets-users-turn-data-collection-incognito?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3082812/xiaomi-browser-update-lets-users-turn-data-collection-incognito?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2020 12:02:48 +0000 When Xiaomi faced criticism over excessive data collection practices in its default Android web browser, the company said there was nothing abnormal about its practices. But now the company seems to be retreating slightly from this stance. An update on Monday addresses one of the main concerns about its browser by letting users toggle data collection in incognito mode. Xiaomi said in a statement that it's released updates for all three of its browsers on Google Play. Users of Mi Browser, Mi... https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/xiaomi-browser-update-lets-users-turn-data-collection-incognito-mode/article/3082803?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/xiaomi-browser-update-lets-users-turn-data-collection-incognito-mode/article/3082803?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2020 12:02:47 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Xiaomi is collecting a slew of browsing data from its users, according to a new report by Forbes. While Xiaomi’s default browser appears to log every website a user visits, the Chinese smartphone maker says it’s not doing anything unusual. While examining the Mi Browser on the Redmi Note 8, cybersecurity researcher Gabi Cirlig found it was tracking a lot of user behavior, even when set to private or “incognito” mode. Collected data includes websites... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3082533/xiaomi-phones-send-search-and-browsing-data-china-researcher-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3082533/xiaomi-phones-send-search-and-browsing-data-china-researcher-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2020 13:19:58 +0000 Xiaomi is collecting a slew of browsing data from its users, according to a new report by Forbes. While Xiaomi’s default browser appears to log every website a user visits, the Chinese smartphone maker says it’s not doing anything unusual. While examining the Mi Browser on the Redmi Note 8, cybersecurity researcher Gabi Cirlig found it was tracking a lot of user behavior, even when set to private or “incognito” mode. Collected data includes websites visited, items viewed on Xiaomi’s news feed... https://www.scmp.com/tech/xiaomi-phones-send-search-and-browsing-data-china-researcher-says/article/3082495?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/xiaomi-phones-send-search-and-browsing-data-china-researcher-says/article/3082495?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2020 13:19:56 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS China isn’t the only country using technology to track people who might have come into close contact with Covid-19. In a rare partnership, Google and Apple said that they will work together to build a system for Covid-19 contact tracing using Bluetooth. While the new system has faced criticism and raised privacy concerns, the companies promise it won’t allow people to be identified. But in China, where the government has been criticized for containment... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3079697/qr-codes-social-media-four-ways-china-tracks-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3079697/qr-codes-social-media-four-ways-china-tracks-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2020 00:00:15 +0000 China isn’t the only country using technology to track people who might have come into close contact with Covid-19. In a rare partnership, Google and Apple said that they will work together to build a system for Covid-19 contact tracing using Bluetooth. While the new system has faced criticism and raised privacy concerns, the companies promise it won’t allow people to be identified. But in China, where the government has been criticized for containment measures seen as draconian, people had... https://www.scmp.com/tech/qr-codes-social-media-four-ways-china-tracks-covid-19/article/3079595?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/qr-codes-social-media-four-ways-china-tracks-covid-19/article/3079595?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2020 00:00:12 +0000 TikTok has named a group of US experts in technology, policy and mental health to form a new content advisory council as it seeks to shape moderation policies amid concerns by some US lawmakers that the viral video app censors content on behalf of the Chinese government.   The council will meet the company’s US executives later this month to discuss platform integrity, including policies designed to fight misinformation and election interference. On Monday TikTok said it would complete the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tiktok-recruits-experts-content-advisory-council-ease-us-pressure/article/3075957?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tiktok-recruits-experts-content-advisory-council-ease-us-pressure/article/3075957?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2020 12:51:13 +0000 Short video app TikTok, owned by Beijing-based Bytedance, said on Wednesday that they plan to open a Transparency Center to allow more access to their content moderation practices in the US amid continued scrutiny from authorities there over data privacy and censorship issues.   “This new facility in our LA office will provide outside experts an opportunity to directly view how our teams at TikTok go about the day-to-day challenging, but critically important, work of moderating content on the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tiktoks-planned-transparency-center-designed-ease-privacy-fears/article/3074937?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tiktoks-planned-transparency-center-designed-ease-privacy-fears/article/3074937?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2020 12:23:12 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Facial recognition controversies in 2019 -- including data leaks and the viral deepfake app Zao -- have resulted in more scrutiny of the technology and data collection in China. Now the country is now introducing new measures for apps that collect biometric data. Last week, the country updated guidelines on collecting biometric data and consent requirements. The Personal Information Security Specification that went into effect in 2018 is China’s answer... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3074443/china-introduces-stricter-facial-recognition-standards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3074443/china-introduces-stricter-facial-recognition-standards?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2020 08:04:07 +0000 Facial recognition controversies in 2019 -- including data leaks and the viral deepfake app Zao -- have resulted in more scrutiny of the technology and data collection in China. Now the country is now introducing new measures for apps that collect biometric data. Last week, the country updated guidelines on collecting biometric data and consent requirements. The Personal Information Security Specification that went into effect in 2018 is China’s answer to Europe’s GDPR. Newest updates to the law... https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/china-introduces-stricter-facial-recognition-standards/article/3074387?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/china-introduces-stricter-facial-recognition-standards/article/3074387?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2020 08:04:05 +0000