304
Hong Kong Cases
[2008] 1 HKC
92. YHHK submitted that pursuant to the TOS, Yahoo! China might
preserve and disclose a user’s account information and content if required
to do so by local law. The PPS further provided that personal information
might be provided to a third party pursuant to a court subpoena, law,
regulation, or legal procedure.
93. There is some dispute between the parties as to whether the 2000
version or the 2007 version of the TOS applied, because the terms of the
two versions were phrased somewhat differently, with the 2007 being
more detailed. The appellant argued that as the appellant was a user of
yahoo.com.cn service in 2004, the 2000 version should be applicable.
94. We are of the view that the effect of the relevant clauses in the two
versions is largely the same. Both versions contain a provision that Yahoo!
or Yahoo! China was authorised to make disclosure ‘in accordance with
legal procedure’.8
95. On the basis of the materials before us, we agree with YHHK that
the appellant had given his prescribed consent when he accepted the TOS
and PPS of Yahoo! China.
96. We are unable to agree with the Commissioner’s view as expressed
in the Report that compliance with statutory requirement on disclosure of
personal data should be regarded as a use for a purpose consistent with the
purpose of collection under DPP3. It seems to us that disclosure of
personal information to public prosecution authorities could not be
considered to be a ‘use’ of the information intended by the parties when
the information was collected.
97. If there had been a contravention of DPP3, it is common ground
between the Commissioner and the appellant that the exemption in s 58 of
the Ordinance cannot be invoked in the present case. We accept that the
crime committed by the appellant in the PRC did not amount to a crime
under the laws of Hong Kong. Accordingly, it is not necessary to dwell
upon the applicability of s 58 in the instant case.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
J. RESULT
98. The information disclosed by Beijing Yahoo! on behalf of YHHK to
the SSB cannot be regarded as ‘personal data’ under the definition of the
Ordinance. The Commissioner was therefore right to conclude that there
had not been any breach of the Ordinance on the part of YHHK.
99. Even if the relevant information were regarded as ‘personal data’,
and even if YHHK were to be considered a ‘data user’, there has been no
breach of DPP3 because the appellant had given prescribed consent for
such disclosure.
8.
Clause 7 of the 2000 TOS and cl 8 of the 2007 TOS.
H
I