Privacy Policy

This sets out the policies and practices of South China Morning Post Publishers Limited and all subsidiaries and affiliated companies of which it forms part (“SCMP GROUP” or “We”) in relation to the handling of personal data.

Statement of Notice

We respect privacy. SCMP GROUP is committed to complying with all applicable personal data privacy laws and regulations.

When we collect and process personal data, we will ensure that there is legal basis for us to do so – including but not limited to issuing a Privacy Notice and/or fulfilling any other requirements as provided under all applicable laws.

Statement of Practice

Kinds of Personal Data Collected

We collect personal data in five broad categories below (“Categories of Personal Data”):

Subscription Records which include records containing the personal information of the subscribers of our publications, job alert services and any other subscription based products or services.

Personnel Records which include job applicants and our employees’ personal information.

Event Attendee Records which include the personal information provided by the attendees of our events such as conferences, promotion or charity activities.

Other Operational Records which include the personal data of such data subjects involved in news gathering, security checks, cleaning, maintenance services, consultancy, technology, auditing, supplier, service provider, licensor and other data subjects providing services in relation to all aspects of our operations.

Records collected on/from Web Servers which include but not limited to the email addresses, location data and other online identifiers such as IP addresses of such data subjects who visit our websites and platforms.

Main Purposes of Processing Collected Personal Data

Subscription Records are processed for the purposes of: (i) provision of subscription, job alert orders and any other subscription based products or services; (ii) billing and payment (if applicable); and (iii) conducting market research for statistical purposes.

Personnel Records are processed for the purposes of: (i) recruitment; and (ii) human resources management and employment related activities such as employment benefits, termination, performance appraisal, and discipline.

Event Attendee Records are processed for the purposes of: (i) organising and managing the relevant events; and (ii) running the related competitions, prize drawings, and promotions.

Other Operational Records are processed for the purposes of facilitating the effective operation of our business such as news gathering, security, maintenance, consultancy, technology, auditing, supplier, service provider, licensor, and other data subjects providing services in relation to all aspects of our operations.

Records collected from Web Servers are kept for the purposes of: (i) providing and/or improving on the news, information and related services to you; and (ii) keeping abreast of and analysing the latest trends in the global media landscape.

Data Protection Principles

All processing of personal data shall be conducted according to the data protection principles as follows:

– Personal data must be processed lawfully, fairly and transparently.
– Personal data can only be collected for specific, explicit and legitimate purposes.
– Personal data must be relevant and limited to what is necessary for processing.
– Personal data must be accurate and kept up to date with every effort to erase or correct.
– Personal data must be kept in a form such that the data subject can only be identified if it is necessary for processing.
– Personal data must be processed in a manner that ensures the appropriate security.

Data Inventory

We have also kept a data inventory and data flow process to determine various aspects of our data processing including:

– Business processes that use personal data.
– Purposes for collecting and/or using the personal data.
– Source of personal data.
– Processing activities.
– Any data transfer, and to whom.
– Any data access, correction or opt-out request.
Such data inventory would facilitate SCMP GROUP in tracking its data and the related processing activities, and put us in a better position to comply with the relevant privacy and other laws and regulations.

Legal Basis of Data Processing

We ensure that there is legal basis for our processing of personal data.

Such legal basis includes: (i) legitimate business interests of SCMP GROUP in processing personal data; (ii) if required by applicable laws or regulations, seeking your specific consent to process such personal data; and/or (iii) any other relevant basis under applicable laws and regulations.

Legitimate Interests

SCMP GROUP processes personal data under the “legitimate interests” legal basis which means that the processing of the personal data is necessary for the legitimate interest pursued by SCMP GROUP except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which requires the protection of personal data

Legitimate Interests Assessment

In each relevant situation, we assess: (i) what these legitimate interests are; (ii) whether it is necessary to process such data to attain the objective; and (iii) the relevant rights of the data subjects; and balance such rights against our interests in achieving such objective, and ensure that such rights do not override SCMP GROUP’s legitimate interests before we conclude that SCMP GROUP can process the personal data on the basis of legitimate interests.

Communicate with the Data subjects

All data subjects will be informed that we are collecting their personal data, the Categories of Personal Data concerned and the purpose of processing. This is to ensure that the data subjects are clear about our collection and processing of personal data and such collection and processing are within the data subjects’ reasonable expectations.

Please be informed that all data subjects can object to our collection and processing of their personal data at any time, in addition to their rights of requesting for accessing and/or correcting their personal data in our possession.

Data Security Mechanisms

We have also implemented appropriate mechanisms, policies and procedures to protect the confidentiality and security of the personal data that we collect and process, as we respect the privacy and related rights of the data subjects relating to such personal data by reducing the risks or potential negative impact of processing including but not limited to data minimisation, de-identification, encryption, restricted access and all other technical security methods and efforts to protect personal data. Such protection of the privacy and related rights of the data subjects would enable SCMP GROUP in processing personal data under the legitimate interest legal basis.

Having conducted the above assessment thoroughly, SCMP GROUP concludes that it is collecting and processing personal data under legitimate interest as follows:

a. Serving Customer and Operational Needs

The main purposes for processing the Categories of Personal Data have been set out above. There are legitimate interests for SCMP GROUP to process the same because all such purposes are essential to SCMP GROUP serving its customers and its operational needs as a corporation and a media organisation.

A corporation like SCMP GROUP needs employees to work for its business (and hence Personnel Records) and service providers to keep it running (and therefore Other Operational Records).

A media organisation such as SCMP GROUP needs the personal data of its newspaper subscribers, event attendees and website visitors so as to be able to have relevant and timely provision of information and/or other services (and thereby subscription and event attendee records together with records collected on web servers).

b. Inform the Public

As a news organisation – SCMP GROUP respects the public’s right to know about what is happening in our community and the world. SCMP GROUP has a duty both under law and journalistic ethics to inform the public of such happenings (“duty to inform”).

We collect and process data from data subjects who visit our various web and media properties (“Public View Data”) in order to provide improved and better content experience to our data subjects.

These recommendations do not prohibit or restrict anyone from viewing all of the other articles or content on such websites which they can access at any time as available.

c. Market Analysis

We analyse the Public View Data to: (i) gain insightful knowledge of the reading habits, preferences or tastes of the public; and (ii) conduct market segmentation and related studies.

Such analysis is necessary because it enhances SCMP GROUP’s capability to carry out its duty to inform and contribute to the welfare of our international community as a global digital news organisation. The knowledge and study results from such analysis would enable SCMP GROUP to fulfil its duty to inform more effectively by providing more relevant and timely information, products, and services to the public.

This would benefit not just SCMP GROUP – but also the international society as a whole. Our world is becoming more globalised and inter-connected. What is happening in one part of the world could have instant, far-reaching ramifications on others.

d. Direct Marketing

SCMP GROUP also uses personal data for direct marketing purposes as part of its legitimate interests unless the data subject explicitly objects or such is otherwise specifically prohibited under applicable laws.

How you interact with SCMP GROUP’s products or services (such as news, media, advertising, events, etc.) may indicate your consumption preferences or inclinations. Based on such preferences or inclinations, we use such personal data to conduct direct marketing in respect of various goods and/or services offered by SCMP GROUP, its affiliates or business partners including but not limited to:

(a) Insurance, banking and financial products and services;
(b) Products and services relating to airlines, hotel, health club, travel and hospitality;
(c) Beauty, skin care, health, medical devices, biotechnology, pharmacy and wellness;
(d) Eyewear and optical, fashion, sports, sports events, sports clubs, watches and jewellery, flower shop, stationery, toys, department stores and shopping malls;
(e) IT, electronic goods and electrical appliances, mobile phones and accessories, telecommunications and media products and services;
(f) Food and beverages and restaurants;
(g) Design, automotive, education, antique and auction, arts and gallery, boat and accessories, services for children, real property, construction, furniture and household items, interior design, consular services, trade or industry associations, non-governmental organisations, government services, energy, events and exhibitions, personal announcements, pets and accessories, post and courier services, public utilities, professional services, career, security services, shopping, transportation and logistics.

We note that given the global spread of our businesses, there may be cases where our use of personal data for direct marketing is governed by the laws of certain jurisdictions (such as Hong Kong) which require the consent of the data subject(s) in this regard. Please refer to the “Consent” section immediately below for more information.

Consent

Where applicable legal requirement demands specific consent must be obtained before we can process personal data including conducting direct marketing, we will ensure that such specific consent will be obtained as follows:

(A) the consent has to be clear, explicit and specific;

(B) data subject is fully aware of the types of the personal data that we intend to use; and the purposes of such usage (such as improving our services to the data subject or direct marketing); and

(C) the name/identity of the transferee (if we ever intend to transfer your data) and how the transferee shall use your personal data.