Wristbands Pose No Privacy Issue

Inbound travellers placed under compulsory quarantine will be issued with electronic wristbands to verify they are staying in their dwelling place, but the technology does not pose privacy concerns.

Government Chief Information Officer Victor Lam told reporters at the airport this evening that the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data had been consulted about the technology.

“We have consulted the Privacy Commissioner. Indeed he basically agreed that we can use this application to track the location of the confinee. 

"On the other hand, in fact the app will not capture directly the location, but only capture the changes in the location, especially the telecommunication and communication signals around the confinee to ensure that he (or she) is staying at home.”

Each electronic wristband pairs with a smartphone and cannot be removed easily.

If the wristband is broken or the smartphone is disconnected or taken away from the dwelling place, an alert will be sent to the Department of Health and Police.