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Opinion Survey

A Sample Survey of Web Sites in Hong Kong
on Practices in Relation to the
Collection of Personal Data on the Internet
(Conducted in July to October 1998)

Key Findings of the Survey

• Collection of Personal Data
  
  With the increasing popularity of the Internet in Hong Kong and its increasing use by private and public sector organisations to interact with individuals, it came as no surprise that a high percentage of Hong Kong web sites collect personal data through the Internet or provide downloadable data collection forms.
  
  Of the 531 web sites visited, 339 sites (63.8%) provided forms to collect personal data, which could either be submitted on-line by visitors to the site (248 sites) or be downloaded for mailing/faxing back to the organisations concerned (91 sites). The purposes for collecting personal data included the placing of orders for goods, subscription to services, application for membership of clubs or for associations or vacant positions in an organisation, making enquiries, and providing comments and other feedback.
  
  
• Provision of a Personal Information Collection Statement (PIC Statement)
  
  Of the 339 personal data collection forms visited in the survey, only 108 forms (31.9%) had PIC Statements notifying individuals of the purposes for collecting such data, as required by the Ordinance. The remaining forms, close to 70%, did not have such a statement.
  
  
• Provision of a Privacy Policy Statement
  
  Of the 339 web sites which had forms to collect personal data, 21 sites (6.2 %) displayed a Privacy Policy Statement on their sites.
  
  
• Web Sites aimed at Young Persons
  
  Of the 13 web sites visited that target young persons, 10 sites provided forms to collect personal data, but none of them had a PIC Statement or a Privacy Policy Statement. This issue is highlighted because of the vulnerability of young persons.
  
  
• Ensuring the Security of Personal Data
  
  Of the 248 web sites which provided for on-line submission of forms that collect personal data, 26 sites (10.5 %) provided encryption for the transmission of such data. Some web sites allowed easy and uncontrolled access by anyone who surfs the Internet to personal data held by them, e.g. detailed resumes of job seekers held by some employment agencies' web sites.
  
  
• Use of Cookies
  
  Of the 531 web sites visited, 62 sites (11.7%) made use of cookies, a technology which facilitates the tailoring of a web site in response to frequent visitors but can also be used for tracking and profiling purposes. Out of these 62 sites, only 6 sites (9.7%) informed their visitors that cookie files would be sent to the users' computers.
  
  
• Browsing Anonymity
  
  Of the 531 web sites visited, only 8 sites (1.5%) required visitors to disclose their identity before they were allowed to browse the sites.

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