Jump to content

Warning about http://www.rednano.sg

Drive_carcar

By Drive_carcar,
in Lite & EZ

 Share

Recommended Posts

Drive_carcar

Drive_carcar

Clutched

It has just come to my attention that your own private information may be searchable in this website without your permission.

 

For some people maybe they want it to be so. But if you are concerned about privacy, do get into the website and do searches on your own name(s). If you find your information posted which you don't want others to see, please get them to take it down.

↡ Advertisement
Link to post
Share on other sites
Tkseah

Tkseah

Turbocharged
  On 8/12/2009 at 1:48 AM, Dankoo said:

Read that in the news today...did a search...glad to see mine info not in there!

 

Those whose information can be found must have something worth searching for.. we who cannot be found are not worth searching for.. [:|]

Link to post
Share on other sites
Laukuikor

Laukuikor

Neutral Newbie

TS, your name is Chua Kim Cheng?

 

 

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin.../448207/1/.html

 

SINGAPORE: Here's something to think about in this digital world. How much of your personal data is available online, without your knowledge?

 

Authorities say while there is currently no law on online privacy in general, common law rules protect the confidentiality of an individual's personal data.

 

When engineer Chua Kim Cheng saw the "People Search" function at the Red Nano website, he decided to test it out. He typed in his name and was shocked to see his particulars and address listed. Full addresses of others living in the same housing block as him were also listed.

 

Mr Chua said he did not give any consent to SPH Search, which runs the Red Nano website, to list his personal details in the public domain. He said: "Imagine anybody can target the whole block and they can search the whole block, so it's even more sensitive this way. It would be very useful for marketing people... even loansharks would be interested to know.

 

"Anybody can send a mail to me or come to my house... (and say), 'Is Mr Chua in?' You would think that's a friendly person, could be a friend or relative coming, anybody will open the door."

 

SPH Search said its data sources are proprietary to the company and it is not at liberty to disclose information on it. Its "People Search" section is an opportunity for the public to extend their visibility, socially or professionally, on the Internet.

 

Red Nano has since taken down Mr Chua's particulars but there are many more names listed on the site.

 

Responding to Channel NewsAsia's queries, the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) said there is a Model Data Protection Code in Singapore. But this is for voluntary adoption by the private sector.

 

It added: "The Model Code provides broad guidelines and principles on the proper management of personal information and it has been adopted by many companies, including those engaged in e-commerce under the TrustSG initiative."

 

Under the code, personal data may include an individual's name, age, medical records, spending habits, home address and phone number. The ministry said a company would be breaching common laws covering privacy if it did not get the individual's consent to make public his or her personal particulars.

 

The Media Development Authority gave this advice to online users: "We advise aggrieved individuals to seek professional legal advice to determine the most appropriate legal recourse. Individuals may also wish to contact the website directly for assistance in removing the information."

 

An inter-ministerial agency is currently reviewing Singapore's data protection regime to better safeguard the privacy of online users.

 

There is currently no established uniformed approach to deal with data protection and the committee is looking at various examples in countries like the US and Canada. The committee is made up of agencies such as the Trade and Industry and the Home Affairs ministries.

 

Experts said current laws lack punitive action and clearer guidelines are needed.

 

Tan Wei Ming, senior manager for government relations at Symantec Asia Pacific, said: "Nowadays, with the Internet age and with information stored everywhere, you could easily find your information floating around on the Internet and sometimes without yourself realising it!

 

"There are many reasons for that. For example, when you go to a social networking site, do you or do you not set the right privacy safeguards for your data? For example, you go to Facebook or other networking sites, they allow you to list down what you can and cannot be shared in the public domain," he added.

 

Mr Tan noted that many other websites are also posting personal details of individuals. He added areas that need to be addressed in the new regime include: what constitutes consent, what happens when data is collected, what the data will be used for, how it will be transferred and what needs to be done if data breaches occur.

 

- CNA/ir

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
Help1

Help1

1st Gear

mine is there, had called them up to remove my particulars. for those who probably signed up newspaper subscription with SPH, pls check your name in the website. They may have use your particulars to advertised in rednano website.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Tkseah

Tkseah

Turbocharged
  On 8/12/2009 at 5:51 AM, Qooo said:

why my name not there? so insulting! [:p]

 

that's becos we are nobody... but no worries... our leaders always say that nobody will be left behind... [cool]

Link to post
Share on other sites
Xtravagant

Xtravagant

Clutched
  On 8/12/2009 at 5:55 AM, Tkseah said:

that's becos we are nobody... but no worries... our leaders always say that nobody will be left behind... [cool]

 

seconded that. . . [thumbsup]

nobody will be left behind. . . [laugh] [laugh]

remin ds me so much on NS

Link to post
Share on other sites
Benarsenal

Benarsenal

Turbocharged

Apparantly, from what I learn in media studies, Singapore got no privacy protection laws. It's up to the individual to protect oneself in the public domain.

 

Maybe we should do something about it?

Link to post
Share on other sites
Mcf777

Mcf777

Turbocharged
(edited)

aunty lucy website also similiar if you have that person IC and DOB.

i already complained so many times. They bo hui me at all.

NB, I must also write in ST and tell them to wake up their f ideas.

Edited by Mcf777
Link to post
Share on other sites
Emkay

Emkay

1st Gear
  On 8/12/2009 at 5:55 AM, Tkseah said:

that's becos we are nobody... but no worries... our leaders always say that nobody will be left behind... [cool]

 

 

I tried searching for you-know-who only can find NUS (YOU-KNOW-WHO SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY) etc, cannot find his address and phone number leh.

 

 

Is he a Nobody also? I don't think so..

 

They want nobody nobody but you ..

Link to post
Share on other sites
Emkay

Emkay

1st Gear

Many many years ago, I worked for a FMCG company who regularly conduct lucky draws to let people fill out name, address, NRIC, kid's names, spouse names, phone number etc

 

over a period of just 6 months, we managed to collect a database of over 2mil records. I build a simple program to look up by block, also by relationship etc. So not only I can ask "Is Mr Chua in?", I can also walk up to any HDB block and ask, "Mr Chua not in? how about his mother Mdm Lim?" or even "You neighbour at 10-2310 Austin Power complain you daughter "Chua Siao Kia" made too much noise at night etc etc....

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
Sosaria

Sosaria

Twincharged
(edited)

I think the website concerned is fixing the problem already, in anticipation of the hundreds of thousands of requests it is going to get asking them to remove the details.

 

The main issue is that just by typing a name, you can get the person's home address complete with unit number - which is really scary!! Even the online yellowpages is not so blatant - at the most, you can get the block number and road name, but no unit number is stated.

 

Then again, nowadays, by googling names, you can get a lot of so-called "private" info, especially if the target maintains an online presence, e.g. facebook, linkedin, personal blog, etc. So it's not a new issue that our privacy is now compromised...

 

Yes, singapore has few, if any, laws to protect individual privacy - maybe for a few "select" individuals, yes - but not for the man-in-the-street. Laws here have always been more protective of corporate, rather than individual rights - this is singapore inc. after all. The standard advice given to individuals is usually: you have to consult a lawyer (same advice you're going to get if some Beng punches you in the face :D), and seriously, who's going to spend money to do that???

Edited by Sosaria
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...