Day: October 17, 2024

In the wake of the furore surrounding the sale of personal data by Octopus Rewards Limited to unconnected third parties for marketing purposes, it is a good time to remind ourselves of our privacy rights and responsibilities under Hong Kong law. The current legal framework governing the collection and use of personal information in Hong Kong is the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (PDPO).

The PCPD is a statutory body responsible for enforcing the PDPO. The organisation has set out to promote and encourage adherence to data privacy principles. The PDPO itself defines personal data as “any information relating to an identifiable individual who can be directly or indirectly identified from the information in any form and whether recorded in manual, electronic or other form”.

Interestingly, while the PDPO does not explicitly require that all forms of personal data must be collected for processing purposes, it does stipulate that data users are ultimately accountable for the actions of their agents (DPP 11). This legal provision serves to highlight that all parties should take reasonable steps to ensure that the privacy requirements set out in the PDPO are complied with by any processors that they engage.

Another point of interest is the fact that the PDPO requires data users to expressly notify individuals upon or before collecting their personal data about its intended uses and any potential transfers (DPP 1 and DPP 3). While this is not always practical or feasible, it is generally good practice for organisations to do so.

The PDPO also stipulates that data users must prevent personal information transferred outside of Hong Kong from being kept for longer than necessary for processing (DPP 4). Again, this is not strictly required, but again it is a matter of best practice. The PDPO has published model clauses that may be included in contracts between data users, both within and without Hong Kong, which can help to achieve this aim.

Lastly, the PDPO prohibits the public display of an individual’s name and HKID number together unless it is necessary for the purpose for which it has been collected (DPP 6). This requirement is likely to be a common feature on staff cards, which usually exhibit an individual’s full name, photo, company name, job title and employee number.

Overall, the PDPO has some strong provisions to safeguard individual privacy, but it does need to be more clear and robust to provide sufficient protection for data-related technologies, which have become increasingly pervasive in everyday life. This is especially true when it comes to the proliferation of artificial intelligence, big data analytics and internet-of-things devices. Hopefully, the upcoming consultation on the proposed PDPO reforms will address these concerns and help to further strengthen data protection in Hong Kong. We will continue to monitor and report on developments in the field.

Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games. It involves placing bets on the cards you have in your hand and comparing them to those of your opponents. It is played using one or more 52-card decks and has a high house edge. The aim of the game is to get your cards close to 21 without going over. Players are dealt two cards while the dealer also gets two. A card with a value of 1 or 11 counts as a face card and an Ace counts as either a 1 or 11. When playing blackjack, you can choose to draw more cards or stand based on a set of rules.

You can make side bets in blackjack by placing additional bets on the table along with your main wager. These side bets typically pay 1:1 if you win and 3:2 if you have a blackjack. Some side bets require that you split your hand into two hands, while others require you to stay with your current hand. It is important to understand the rules of each side bet before making them.

If you want to be a blackjack dealer, you must meet certain minimum qualifications. These requirements can vary depending on the casino where you want to work. Generally, you need to be at least 21 years old and have the ability to pass a background check and drug test. Some casinos will also ask you to complete a training program and obtain certification from the National Gaming Control Board.

When dealing blackjack, it is important to follow proper etiquette. For example, you should never leave money in the betting box on the table. This can confuse other players and dealers. It is also important to speak clearly and be polite to your fellow dealers. It is also important to know the rules of blackjack before you begin.

Unjustified confidence in knowledge of blackjack strategy has been associated with various psychological and behavioral consequences, including outcome expectations, anxiety levels, and risk taking. In this research, we manipulated participants’ confidence level to examine these relationships. Across two studies, greater unjustified confidence was associated with higher outcome expectations and lower anxiety levels and less use of hints that are intended to improve play (information search and consideration).

The study was conducted in compliance with the Wake Forest Institutional Review Board and all human participants gave written informed consent. The raw data from these studies will be made available on request. The authors would like to thank the participants for their participation and contribution to this work.