This Privacy Policy Statement sets out the privacy principles and practices of the Hong Kong Branch of Agricultural Bank of China Limited (the “Bank”) towards the Bank’s commitment in protecting personal data privacy in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (the "Ordinance").
The Bank highly values personal privacy and strives to preserve the confidentiality and security of all the personal information which the Bank may collect so as to strengthen the trust and confidence between the Bank and its customers.
The term "Data Subject(s)", wherever mentioned in this Statement, includes the following categories of individuals:
(i) applicants for or customers and other users of financial, insurance, credit card, securities, investment, banking and related services and products and facilities provided by the Bank;
(ii) guarantors and parties providing security or guarantee for obligations owed to the Bank; and
(iii) directors, shareholders, officers and managers of any corporate Data Subjects.
Privacy Principles
To protect personal data privacy, we maintain the following privacy principles:
(i) We will be clear and transparent as to how we collect and use data, including providing Data Subjects with a statement of how we may use their data where required.
(ii) We will only collect, process and store data lawfully and where we have a legitimate reason to do so.
(iii) We will collect and process data for specified and lawful purposes, and will not use it for incompatible purposes without first taking all steps necessary under applicable data privacy laws and regulations.
(iv) We will ensure our collection, retention and processing of data is proportionate.
(v) We will maintain appropriate standards of data quality and integrity, and we will implement policies in respect of data accuracy, including taking steps to avoid data becoming out of date where appropriate.
(vi) We will retain data securely, implement appropriate data retention policies, and we will dispose of data securely once it is no longer required. We will ensure that appropriate processes are put in place so only those acting on our behalf with a business requirement to access such data are authorized and able to do so and they are required to observe our confidentiality obligations.
(vii) We will only disclose data to governmental or judicial bodies or law enforcement or agencies or our regulators where this is allowed by applicable laws and regulations.
(viii) Where we transfer data to another third party or to another jurisdiction, we will ensure that the data transfer is lawful.
How personal data of Data Subjects is collected
The Bank may collect personal data in paper or electronic form (including personal data collected via e-banking services or mobile application) or in any other manner.
In relation to the collection of the personal data, the Bank will provide the Data Subjects with a copy of the Bank’s Notice to Customers relating to Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (the “DPN”) specifying the purpose of collection, classes of persons to whom the data may be transferred, their rights to access and correct the data, and other relevant information.
Notice to Customer Relating to Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance
Cookies
When a user visits or uses the Bank’s website, some of the user’s information including user’s personalized settings information will be gathered through the use of “cookies”. Cookies are small bits of information that are automatically stored in the web browser in the users’ electronic devices that can be retrieved by the Bank’s website. The information collected by “cookies” is anonymous visitor’s personalized settings information and contain no name or address information or any information that will enable anyone to contact the users via any means. For e-Banking services, a “cookie” with a unique identifier assigned by the Bank will be stored in the users’ web browsers throughout the session after login. Cookies will be expired upon logging off. Should the users wish to disable these cookies, the users may do so by changing the setting of the browser. However, the users may then not be able to make use of the Bank’s e-banking services.
Kind of personal data of Data Subjects held
The Bank will hold personal data of Data Subjects which are necessary for Data Subjects to supply to the Bank from time to time:
(i) in connection with the opening or continuation of accounts and the establishment or continuation of banking facilities or provision of financial, insurance, credit card, securities, investment, banking and related services and products and facilities; and/or
(ii) in the ordinary course of the continuation of the relationship between the Bank and Data Subjects, for example, when Data Subjects write cheques, deposit money, effect transactions through credit cards issued or serviced by the Bank or generally communicate verbally or in writing with the Bank.
Purposes of keeping personal data in relation to Data Subjects
The purposes for which the data relating to the Data Subjects may be used are as follows:
(i) the daily operation of the Bank’s services and credit and banking facilities;
(ii) conducting “Know Your Customer” checks, credit checks at the time of application for credit facilities and during regular or special credit reviews which normally will take place once or more each year;
(iii) creating and maintaining the Bank’s credit scoring models;
(iv) assisting other financial institutions to conduct credit checks and collect debts;
(v) ensuring ongoing credit worthiness of customers;
(vi) designing the following services and products of the Bank and the Bank’s group companies:
(1) financial, insurance, credit card, banking, investment and related services and products; and
(2) reward, loyalty or privileges programmes and related services and products;
(vii) determining amounts owed to or by customers;
(viii) collection of amounts outstanding from customers and those providing security for customers’ obligations;
(ix) complying with the obligations, requirements or arrangements for disclosing and using data that apply to the Bank or any of its branches or that it is expected to comply according to:
(1) any law binding or applying to it within or outside the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region existing currently and in the future;
(2) any guidelines or guidance given or issued by any legal, regulatory, governmental, tax, law enforcement or other authorities, or self-regulatory or industry bodies or associations of financial services providers within or outside the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region existing currently and in the future;
(3) any present or future contractual or other commitment with local or foreign legal, regulatory, governmental, tax, law enforcement or other authorities, or self-regulatory or industry bodies or associations of financial services providers that is assumed by or imposed on the Bank or any of its branches by reason of its financial, commercial business or other interests or activities in or related to the jurisdiction of the relevant local or foreign legal, regulatory, governmental, tax, law enforcement or other authority, or self-regulatory or industry bodies or associations;
(x) complying with any obligations, requirements, policies, procedures, measures or arrangements for sharing data and information within the group of the Bank and/or any other use of data and information in accordance with any group-wide programmes for compliance with sanctions or prevention or detection of money laundering, terrorist financing or other unlawful activities;
(xi) enabling any proposed or actual assignee of the Bank or any part of the Bank’s shareholding or operation, or transferee, participant or sub-participant of the Bank’s rights in any transaction with any customer to evaluate or review its proposed or actual assignment, participation or sub-participation; and
(xii) all purposes directly relating to the above.
Retention of personal data
The personal data and information provided by Data Subjects will not be kept longer than necessary for the fulfilment of the purposes for which the personal data and information are or are to be used at the time of the collection and for compliance with the legal, regulatory and accounting requirements from time to time.
Disclosure of personal data
The personal data and information would not be disclosed to other parties unless such disclosure is made in accordance with the DPN and/or (where applicable) the consent of the Data Subjects and/or the disclosure is permitted or required by any law binding on the Bank.
Security of personal data
The personal data and information provided to the Bank are secured with restricted access by authorized personnel. Encryption technology is employed for sensitive data to protect the personal data privacy during data transmission.
If the Bank engages service providers to handle or process personal data (whether within or outside Hong Kong) on the Bank's behalf, the Bank would adopt contractual or other means to prevent unauthorized or accidental access, processing, erasure, loss or use of the data transferred to the service providers for processing.
Changes to this Privacy Policy Statement
The contents of this Statement may be amended from time to time. Please approach the Bank for the Bank's latest privacy policy.
Data Access Requests and Data Correction Requests
The Bank would comply with and process all data access and correction requests in accordance with the provisions of the Ordinance.
The Bank may impose a reasonable fee for complying with a data access request in accordance with the Ordinance.
Bank’s contact particulars
The person to whom requests for access to data or correction of data or for information regarding policies and practices and kinds of data held are to be addressed is as follows:
The Data Protection Officer
Agricultural Bank of China Limited, Hong Kong Branch
25/F, Agricultural Bank of China Tower,
50 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong
Telephone: 2863 1905
Fax: 2866 0133
If there is any inconsistency between the English version and the Chinese version of this Statement, the English version shall prevail.