Leak of octopus card
In Hong Kong, the Octopus Card is not only treated as a means of electric payment. The Octopus Card interacts a lot with our daily life, like entering our apartments, registering students’ attendance in schools, recognizing our membership of certain organizations, etc.
Hong Kong people trust Octopus deeply from our heart. The MTR Corporation together with the KCRC Managing Board owned about 80% of the share of the Octopus, while the HKSAR government is the largest shareholder of the MTR Corporation and the KCRC Managing Board. Hong Kong people trust the Octopus Card Company as much as we trust the HKSAR government. Therefore, The news that the Octopus Card company has been selling customers’ private information to other firms totally break Hong Kong people’s heart and destroy the mutual relationship the company has established.
When the scandal was exposed, the company executives lied and tried to cover it up. Although the Octopus Card Company admitted that it has been selling customers’ personal information to firms, the executives didn’t disclose the details of the incident using an excuse of the resale contract and confidentiality agreement with those companies. The Octopus also insisted that there is a clause which allows the company to disclose customers’ information to other parties included in the long agreement customers signed.
By selling customers’ private data to the public, the Octopus Card Company earned a HK$44 million profit. There are voices from Hong Kong society to return the money Octopus made from this unethical dealing to the public. The Octopus Card scandal has finally ended with the resignation of CEO Prudence Chan and the promise by the government to review its current laws regarding privacy and handling of customer data.
However, the Octopus scandal is just the tip of the iceberg. It is just another version of the Facebook debate over selling customers’ personal information for company profit. Nowadays, people have low awareness
Hong Kong people trust Octopus deeply from our heart. The MTR Corporation together with the KCRC Managing Board owned about 80% of the share of the Octopus, while the HKSAR government is the largest shareholder of the MTR Corporation and the KCRC Managing Board. Hong Kong people trust the Octopus Card Company as much as we trust the HKSAR government. Therefore, The news that the Octopus Card company has been selling customers’ private information to other firms totally break Hong Kong people’s heart and destroy the mutual relationship the company has established.
When the scandal was exposed, the company executives lied and tried to cover it up. Although the Octopus Card Company admitted that it has been selling customers’ personal information to firms, the executives didn’t disclose the details of the incident using an excuse of the resale contract and confidentiality agreement with those companies. The Octopus also insisted that there is a clause which allows the company to disclose customers’ information to other parties included in the long agreement customers signed.
By selling customers’ private data to the public, the Octopus Card Company earned a HK$44 million profit. There are voices from Hong Kong society to return the money Octopus made from this unethical dealing to the public. The Octopus Card scandal has finally ended with the resignation of CEO Prudence Chan and the promise by the government to review its current laws regarding privacy and handling of customer data.
However, the Octopus scandal is just the tip of the iceberg. It is just another version of the Facebook debate over selling customers’ personal information for company profit. Nowadays, people have low awareness