Electronic card company sells users’ personal details

Hong Kong (dpa) – Lawmakers were on Tuesday considering probing an
       electronic payment card company that admitted to selling the personal
       data of its users.
    
          James To, deputy chairman of the Hong Kong Legislative Council’s
       security panel, said legislators were likely to consider invoking
       special powers to investigate Octopus Card Limited. 
    
       Three investigations are already under way by the Privacy
       Commission, the Monetary Authority and the company itself.
    
          The firm admitted Monday it had made 44 million Hong Kong dollars
       (5.6 million US dollars) from selling the names, addresses and
       identity card details of almost 2 million cardholders since 2002.
    
          There are more than 7 million Octopus cards in circulation, used
       to pay train, bus and ferry fares, car parking, groceries, fast food
       meals, toiletries and other products.
    
          “Octopus card data affects almost everyone in Hong Kong,” Privacy
       commissioner Roderick Woo on Monday said: