document: title: privacy statement
text: GENERAL

This policy statement provides information on the obligations and policies of Visual Paradigm (the "Organisation") under the Hong Kong SAR Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance 1995 - Cap.486 (the "Ordinance").

Where the Company's operations are subject to privacy legislation other than that of Hong Kong SAR, then this policy shall be applied so far as practicable and consistent with such local legislation.

Throughout this policy, our use of the term "personal data" has the meaning ascribed to it by the Ordinance.

OUR ORGANIZATION POLICY

The Organisation shall at all times fully comply with the obligations and requirements of the Ordinance. The Organization shall try to ensure all collection and/or storage and/or transmission and/or usage of personal data by the Organization shall be done in accordance with the obligations and requirements of the Ordinance.

Where an individual legitimately requests access to and/or correction of personal data relating to the individual, held by the Organization, then the Organization shall provide and/or correct that data in accordance with the times and manner stipulated within the Ordinance.

STATEMENT OF PRACTICES

Type of Personal Data Collected

For the purpose of carrying on the Organization's business, including registration of the Organization's related products and services, you may be requested to provide personal data such as, but not limited to, the following, without which it may not be possible to satisfy your request:

  1. Your name;
  2. Correspondence address;
  3. Contact details, and telephone number or email address;
  4. Your company name;
  5. Your role; 
  6. Primary business type; and
  7. Other related products and services subscribed to.



The Organization's web servers may also collect data relating to your online session, the use of which is to provide aggregated, anonymous, statistical information on the server's usage so that we may better meet the demands and expectations of visitors to our sites. This type of data may include, but is not limited to:

  1. The browser type and version;
  2. Operating system; and
  3. The IP address and/or domain name.



The Organization's web site may place a "cookie" on your machine or read it if you has visited the sites previously; for example to maintain your identity across multiple pages within single session. This information may include, but is not limited to, relevant login and authentication details as well as information relating to your activities and preferences without our web site.

Accuracy of Personal Data

Although we do not currently provide online access to and correction of personal data held by the Company, we fully comply with the "Rights of Access and Correction" obligations of the Ordinance. Please refer to the section titled "Access and Correction of Personal Data " below for details on how you can obtain and correct any personal data relating to you that we may hold.

Retention of Personal Data

The Organization will destroy any personal data it may hold in accordance with our internal retention policy. The policy states that:

  1. Personal data will only be retained for as long as is necessary to fulfill the original or directly related purpose for which it was collected, unless the personal data is also retained to satisfy any applicable statutory or contractual obligations; and
  2. Personal data are purged from the Organization's electronic, manual, and other filing systems in accordance with specific schedules based on the above criteria and the Company's internal procedures.



Disclosure of Personal Data

All personal data held by the Organization will be kept confidential but the Organization may, where such disclosure is necessary to satisfy the purpose, or a directly related purpose, for which the data was collected provide such information to the following parties:

  1. Any person or company who is acting for or on behalf of the Organization, or jointly with the Organization, in respect of the purpose or a directly related purpose for which the data was provided; and
  2. Any other person or company who is under a duty of confidentiality to the Organization and has undertaken to keep such information confidential, provided such person or company has a legitimate right to such information.



Personal data may also be disclosed to any person or persons that have a right under the Ordinance to gain access to such information provided they are able to prove their authority to access such information.

Transfer of Personal Data Outside of Hong Kong

At times it may be necessary and/or prudent for the Organization to transfer certain personal data to places outside of the Hong Kong SAR in order to carry out the purposes, or directly related purposes, for which the personal data were collected. Where such a transfer is performed, it will be done in compliance with the requirements of the Ordinance.

Security of Personal Data

Computer data are stored on computer systems and storage media to which access is strictly controlled and/or are located within restricted areas.

Access to records and data without appropriate management authorization is strictly prohibited. Authorizations are granted only on a "need to know" basis that is commensurate with an individual's responsibilities in the Organization.

Access and Correction of Personal Data

Under the terms of the Ordinance, individuals have the right to:

  1. Check whether the Organization holds any personal data relating to them and, if so, obtain copies of such data;
  2. Require the Organization to correct any personal data relating to them which is inaccurate for the purpose for which it is being used; and
  3. Ascertain the Organization's policies and practices in relation to personal data, which are those policies and practices set out in their entirety herein.



An individual may exercise his or her right of access and correction by sending a request to the Organization. The Organization will, upon satisfying itself of the authenticity and validity of the access/correction request, make every attempt to comply with and respond to the request within the period set by the Ordinance.

Direct Marketing

In accordance with the requirements of the Ordinance, the Organization will honor an individual's request not to use his or her personal data for the purposes of direct marketing. Should you wish not to receive direct marketing material from the Organization, please write to the Organization at the email address listed below.

Unless otherwise instructed as per the above, the Organization may use any of the data collected in the normal course of its business for marketing purposes.

THE COMPANY'S PERSONAL DATA (PRIVACY) ORDINANCE CONTACT DETAILS

All enquiries regarding the Organization's compliance with its obligations under the Ordinance should be via email to:

info@visual-paradigm.com