《Privacy Policy Statement》
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Commitment
Sing Tao Limited, its holding company, subsidiaries and/or its related companies (hereinafter collectively referred to as “Sing Tao Corporation”) are aware and understand the customers, website visitors and mobile application users concerned with the privacy of their personal data.
Sing Tao Corporation's Hong Kong companies (including but not limited to the companies and publications listed in Annex I) (“Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies” or “we” or “the Company”) undertake to abide by the “Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance” (Chapter 486) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“the Ordinance”).
Each of the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies provides different services through different models, methods, media and channels including but not limited to the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies’ website and application (hereinafter collectively referred to as “Sing Tao Website/Application”), including but not limited to the provision of information of goods and services, membership, more information content, various online tools/functions, various activities and/or offers, sales and/or purchases of goods and services, blogs, and/or participate in discussion forums.
Unless otherwise specified, this Privacy Policy Statement outlines the collection, use, disclosure, transfer, and storage of your personal data by Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies and the relevant choices you can make. This Privacy Policy Statement should be interpreted in conjunction with the terms and conditions (“Terms and Conditions”) applicable to the relevant services, websites and/or mobile applications provided by Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies. However, if there is any inconsistency between this Privacy Policy Statement and the Terms and Conditions related to personal data, this Privacy Policy Statement shall prevail. This Privazcy Policy Statement should also be interpreted in conjunction with the Personal Data Collection Statement (“Personal Data Collection Statement”) applicable to relevant services, websites and/or mobile applications provided by Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies. However, if there is any inconsistency between this Privacy Policy Statement and the “Personal Data Collection Statement” regarding personal data, the “Personal Data Collection Statement” shall prevail.
For the avoidance of doubt, this policy does not apply to the personal data you send to third parties, and the Company is not responsible for the ways in which such personal data is collected and/or used by the third parties.
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Data collection
You may be invited from time to time to provide your personal data to the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies for different purposes through the relevant websites or mobile applications of the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies or through other media. If you are under the age of 18, before you provide your personal data to the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies, you must obtain the consent of your parents or guardian.
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Log Files
When you browse the website of the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies and/or use the mobile application of the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies, the server of the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies will only collect your browsing/use of the website and/or data of the use of the mobile application of the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies (including but not limited to your IP address, domain name, browser type and access time, etc.) ("Log Files"), but will not collect your personal data. However, if you register on Sing Tao Website/Application and log in to your account, we may combine your Log Files with other personal data we collect from you. These Log Files will be treated as your personal data and used in accordance with this Privacy Policy Statement and "Personal Data Collection Statement". For any inquiries about the collection, use and/or cessation of use of Log Files, please mail to 8/F Sing Tao News Corporation Building, 7 Chun Cheong Street, Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate, New Territories, Hong Kong, “Sing Tao Headline”, Marketing Department Officer, or email to [email protected] to raise the above enquiry. On the cover, please indicate "Enquiry about the collection, use and/or cessation of use of Sing Tao Headline Log Files".
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Use of Cookies and other tracking mechanisms
When you browse Sing Tao Website/Application, cookies will be stored on your computer, mobile device or other device, for internal navigation and programming purposes. We may use cookies and other tracking mechanisms described below to track information about your use of Sing Tao Website/Application ("Tracking Data"). We may combine this Tracking Data with other personal data we collect from you. These Tracking Data will be treated as your personal data and used in accordance with this Privacy Policy Statement and "Personal Data Collection Statement".
We use cookies when we transmit an alphanumeric identifier to your computer, mobile device or other device through your web browser, for record keeping. Some cookies allow us to make it easier for you to browse Sing Tao Website/Application, while others are used to speed up the login process, or allow us to store and track your personal interests and preferences on Sing Tao Website/Application.
We also commission third parties to track and analyze non-personally identifiable data from websites or mobile applications. We use the data collected by these third parties to help us manage and improve the quality of Sing Tao Website/Application, and analyze its usage. Such information is not connected to and independent of any personal data. These third parties may combine the non-identifiable personal data we provide about you with other information they collect.
You can disable cookies by editing your browser settings. Once cookies are disabled, you may not be able to continue to use certain functions of the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies websites (where applicable, and/or mobile applications).
We may also use your location data, to provide reminders of nearby activities. We will not collect and store your location data for other purposes. You can turn the location service on or off by yourself.
We may also send push notifications through relevant applications that you have downloaded, including articles that you may be interested in, and advertisements and other information about products, goods, services, discounts or offers provided by merchants. Your viewing information does not contain your personal data, and we will not use your personal data for sending push notifications. Push notifications are sent through the push notification function on your mobile device. If you do not want to receive push notifications, you can configure related settings on your mobile device.
If you interact with us on social media platforms (for example, "Like" the Facebook page of the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies), the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies will be able to interact with you, and send you messages through these platforms. The Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies will interact with you in accordance with the rules of the relevant social media platform, but we will not be responsible for how the operator of the platform collects and processes your personal data. We will not be held responsible for third party posts on our social media accounts.
In addition, certain third party services or social networks (such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Weibo, Whatsapp) (hereinafter collectively referred to as "the Third Party") may, subject to your permission, transfer data from your account (such as User ID, email address, friend list) and provide to us. Using any of our services through the Third Party platform, or through social plug-ins and/or any services on any of our web pages (including but not limited to leaving message, share, "like" button, email) and connecting to the Third Party’s network, platform or service, means that you allow us to, in accordance with this Privacy Policy Statement, collect, store and use any/all of the information or personal data provided to us, through the Third Party, in accordance with your account setting at that Third Party, via such network/platform/application programming interface (API).
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Types of data collected
Due to the different business needs of the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies, you may have to provide some of your personal data to the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies, including but not limited to your name, gender, age, date of birth, month and year of birth, contact information, email address, mailing/correspondence address, contact number, membership number, marital status, family status, education level, occupation, username and password, Log Files, tracking information, social media account information, credit card information, etc. The personal data collected will also be displayed in the relevant Personal Data Collection Statement and provided at or before the collection of personal data.
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Purpose and use of personal data obtained
The Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies will use your personal data for the purposes shown in the relevant "Personal Data Collection Statement" provided at the time of data collection or before and this Privacy Policy Statement. This includes transferring your personal data to the third parties listed in the "Personal Data Collection Statement" for the purposes shown in the "Personal Data Collection Statement" and enabling them to use your personal data.
The purpose of collecting/using your personal data includes, but is not limited to: providing and improving the service, as well as account management related thereto, such as providing you with better services when using apps/websites and/or during/between one or multiple sessions to save your personal data and/or information in multiple pages
- According to your application, register you as a user or member of the application/website;
- Design new services provided by the Company, and / or provide you with customized services and membership benefits;
- The Company will contact you, including but not limited to replying to inquiries, complaints and/or making suggestions, or contact you on daily operation and management of your membership/account (if any) status;
- Send you birthday messages and offers (if you have provided your date of birth) or event reminders;
- Direct marketing and promotional purposes, only if your prior consent is obtained. Please refer to the following "Direct Marketing" paragraph;
- Market survey and analysis, and data analysis, research, information management and database management;
- After registering as a user, in necessary and/or unexpected situations, read your account information and manage your account (including but not limited to changing your password, updating your personal information, subscribing/unsubscribing to direct marketing, etc.);
- Research, development and analysis related to your/customer’s behavior, including data sorting and analysis to enable us to further understand your characteristics and transaction behaviours, so that we can provide other personalized services according to your needs and help us to select marketing categories that you may be interested in, and conduct behavioural analysis integration, including the use of personal data for statistical analysis, data science research and data mining;
- Identify and verify your identity and/or membership, verify the identity of users who post advertisements, data, messages, comments or other related information on Sing Tao Website/Application and other platforms of the Company;
- Other internal purposes, including but not limited to improving the contents of Sing Tao Website/Application and other platforms of the Company, conducting research and statistical analysis;
- Protecting the Company’s legal rights and interest, collecting arrears;
- Investigating complaints and suspected suspicious transactions or activities;
- Stop, detect, investigate and/or prevent activities that may violate or may be suspected of violating the Company’s policies or may involve abuse, illegal and/or criminal behaviour;
- Comply with Hong Kong laws, including court, government or regulatory requirements;
- Handle any of your required payment operations, reservations, purchases, orders or related requests; and
- Other purposes directly related to any of the above.
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Data accuracy
You may have to provide certain of your personal data to the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies in order to enjoy certain services. If you fail to provide or update accurate and relevant personal data as required, the provision of such services may be affected.
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Data preservation
The time limit for the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies to save your personal data will not exceed the time required or will be required to achieve the purpose. If you are a user of the relevant services of the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies, the personal data you provide will be retained until your service period or a reasonable period of time after the service is terminated, for verification and audit purposes. The above circumstances are subject to any laws, decrees, regulations or accounting requirements.
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Third party merchants
The Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies may have an online store or service and/or product offering point operated by a third party on its website or application. If you provide your personal data to a third party merchant for the purpose of using, ordering or accepting any third party merchant’s services and/or products, please note that such personal data will not be under the control of the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies and therefore exceeds the scope of protection provided by the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies.
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Third party websites
Sing Tao Website/Application may contain links to other websites from time to time. These other websites are independent of Sing Tao Website/Application. The Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies have no right to control or manage the content of other websites or their privacy policies or legal compliance. You must pay full attention to providing these links does not constitute the endorsement, approval of the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies, or any form of association with the link. The Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies has no control over the personal data (if any) you provide to other websites. This Privacy Policy Statement only applies to the various Sing Tao Website/Application. The Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies recommends that, before providing personal data to other websites, you first read the privacy policies of other websites.
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Disclose your personal data to third party
The Company respects your privacy very much. Generally speaking, your personal information will be kept confidential. However, in the following circumstances, the Company may disclose your personal data to third parties, such as:
- Due to the operation of the various Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies and/or for certain purposes shown in the "Personal Information Collection Statement" and paragraph 6 above , to disclose to the staff, agents, consultants, auditors, contractors, suppliers or service providers (including but not limited to logistics service providers, information technology providers, marketing agents, social media, research companies, and service providers for development and maintenance, administration, data processing, digital storage or other similar services) which provide services or opinions to the various Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies;
- If the Company believes that for certain reasons, including but not limited to the implementation of the terms of this policy, or other civil claim for compensation, it is necessary to take legal action against you, then your personal data will be handed over to an appropriate third party for identification and to take legal action against you;
- In accordance with any laws or court orders, subpoenas, judicial procedures, legal procedures or regulatory decisions, applicable within or outside Hong Kong, that require the retention, processing and/or disclosure of your personal data;
- The company may be required to disclose your personal data in order to fulfil the agreement with you, or to protect the rights property or safety of the Company or its employees.
- If need to collect payments, your personal data can be handed over to banks and financial institutions and/or payment collection agents;
- when using the service, according to the circumstances permitted by the "Terms and Conditions" in the relevant communication information; and
- When the Company believes that it is necessary to safeguard and protect the rights and property of the Company, and to prevent or detect crimes.
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Information security
We, and third parties that share your personal data in accordance with this Privacy Policy Statement and "Personal Data Collection Statement", will keep the physical records of your personal data in a secure place with restricted access. The electronic records of your personal data will be stored in the servers of the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies. The servers will also be placed in a safe place and protected by adequate data security measures (for example: when necessary, sensitive data will be encrypted when transmitted on the internet). Only employees authorized by the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies (persons who have received training in handling personal data and have confidentiality obligations) can access these records and servers when they "need to know" and "need to use". We may use contractual methods or use the Company's reasonable efforts to ensure that third parties who use your personal data in accordance with this Privacy Policy Statement and "Personal Data Collection Statement" will provide the same level of protection.
We may store your personal data in actual locations and/or servers within or outside Hong Kong in accordance with our "Personal Data Collection Statement", and/or use it with third parties within or outside Hong Kong. However, no matter where your personal data is stored in any country/region, we will take all reasonable measures to ensure that your personal data is stored and processed safely, and we will use contractual methods or use the Company’s reasonable efforts to ensure that any third party provides the same level of protection.
No data that is transmitted over the internet or any other public network is completely secure, and the privacy of your communications with us is not completely guaranteed. You should take all necessary measures to protect your password to prevent unauthorized reading, including logging out of your account (if applicable) when completing the use of a registered account while using a shared computer. We will not be liable for any loss, improper use, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration or destruction of personal data that occurs outside of our control.
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Waiver
The Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies will disclose your personal data in accordance with legal requirements or in response to any government department, regulatory agency, law enforcement agency or request or order of the court with jurisdiction. The Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies will not bear any responsibility for disclosing your personal data in this way. The Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies may also need to take legal actions against you based on certain reasons, including but not limited to infringement of intellectual property rights or other civil claims. Your personal data will be handed over to appropriate collaborating third parties for identification and take legal action against you.
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For legal proceedings, etc
When it is necessary for the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies to use your personal data to take legal action to procure you to repay your debt to the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies, you agree that the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies can use the personal data you provide to confirm your identity and take legal action against you.
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Access and Correction of Information
In accordance with the Ordinance, you can request access to your personal data collected by the Company (if any) and request correction or deletion of your personal data from the Company's database. If you need to view or change your personal data, please log in to your account to do so, or fill in the "Data Access Request Form" (Form OPS003) (www.pcpd.org.hk/english/publications/files/Dforme.pdf) , and mailed it to 8/F Sing Tao News Group Building, 7 Chun Cheong Street, Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate, New Territories, Hong Kong, "Sing Tao Headline", Marketing Department Officer to make the above request. On the cover, please indicate "Sing Tao Headline Member View or Change of Personal Data". If possible, please indicate what kind of item, activity or membership you have provided personal data to the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies. If you have become a member, you can log in to your member account at any time to update, modify or correct your personal data.
The above request will be processed as soon as possible in accordance with the provisions of the Ordinance, and the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies may charge a reasonable fee for processing your request for access to personal data.
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Direct Marketing
The Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies shall not use or provide your personal data for direct marketing without your consent. With your consent, we may use your personal data for direct marketing in accordance with the "Personal Data Collection Statement" provided to you when collecting your personal data. You can revoke your consent at any time through the following no-charge channels:
- Request the withdrawal of consent in accordance with the method shown in the relevant Personal Data Collection Statement;
- Mail it to 8/F Sing Tao News Group Building, 7 Chun Cheong Street, Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate, New Territories, Hong Kong, "Sing Tao Headline", Marketing Department Officer to make the above request. On the cover, please indicate "Stop receiving Sing Tao Headline promotion materials"; or
- Together with your registered user name, contact number and email address information, email to [email protected] "Sing Tao Headline" Marketing Department Officer, please mark "Stop receiving Sing Tao Headline promotion materials".
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Changes to Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy Statement will be updated, revised or changed from time to time. Any changes, updates or amendments will take effect immediately when they are published on the Sing Tao Website/Application. When required by law, we will notify and/or obtain your permission for certain major changes, updates or amendments. If you do not accept the changes, updates or amendments and/or provide your permission, then we may not be able to provide you with products and services. You should check the Sing Tao Website/Application regularly to obtain updated versions of this Privacy Policy Statement.
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Change of control
If the Company or the Company’s business or the Company’s affiliated company or affiliated company’s business involves any actual or proposed business transfer, share transfer, reorganization, merger, merger and acquisition, sale, transfer or purchase, the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies may need to transfer your personal data to the new owner of the business in accordance with the "Personal Data Collection Statement" or this Privacy Policy Statement. The new owner may be at a place outside of Hong Kong, and the place where your personal data is used for such acquisition or reorganization may also be outside of Hong Kong. You will be notified about the data transfer, and can choose to withdraw your consent to the use of personal data.
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Severability
If certain terms of this Privacy Policy Statement are found to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable by a court or a tribunal with jurisdiction, those terms will be severed, and the remaining terms of this Privacy Policy Statement will continue to be valid and enforceable. The terms in this Privacy Policy Statement are independent and separate terms.
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Applicable law and jurisdiction
This Privacy Policy Statement is governed by the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and in accordance with to its interpretation, you and the Hong Kong Sing Tao Companies agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
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Enquiry
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Company via email address [email protected].
Annex 1: Companies and publications applying the Privacy Policy Statement
(including but not limited to those listed below)
- 星島新聞集團網站 (singtaonewscorp.com)
- 星島頭條 (Stheadline)
- 頭條Blog City (Stheadline Blog City)
- 星島電子報 (Stepaper)
- 星島日報 (Sing Tao Daily)
- 頭條日報 (Headline Daily)
- 頭條POPnews (Headline POPnews)
- 星島地產網 (Stp.stheadline.com)
- 星島教育網 (Stedu.stheadline.com)
- 頭條金融網 (Hdfin.stheadline.com)
- 星島虎報海外地產 (Singtao Oversea Property)
- 英文虎報 The Standard
- 親子王 (Smart Parents)
- Oh! 爸媽 (Ohpama.com)
- 頭條揾工 (Headlinejobs)
- JobMarket
- EDU 進修生活 (EDUplus.hk)
- A-Performers A級人才
- 星購Jetbuy (Jetbuy)
- 東周 (East Week)
- 東Touch (East Touch)
- JET
- PCM
- 車買家 (CAZBuyer)
- 游絲腕表 (Spiral)
- 星島出版 (Singtao Books)
- East Touch Publishing Limited
- Plug Media Services Limited
- Shimba Digital Limited