Personal data may exit Macau under certain circumstances

The personal data of individuals in Macau can leave the territory under certain conditions, specifically, when legal proceedings are undertaken to obtain the data, according to Secretary for Administration and Justice Sonia Chan.
“The personal data protection law does not ban personal data from going abroad as long as the procedure is legal,” said Chan, who then explained that approval from the Office for Personal Data Protection – or by the terms outlined in the law – will be sufficient to allow Macau’s personal data to leave the territory.
Chan’s statement was made yesterday during the Legislative Assembly (AL) plenary meeting after she was asked by lawmaker Zheng Anting whether personal data of Macau individuals could be used in Zhuhai.
Providing convenience, improving the government’s service, and protecting personal data from being stolen or damaged are the advantages that Macau’s e-government will offer the city, according to Chan.
A bill proposing that the Macau government mature its e-governance was passed in general terms yesterday at the AL.
The bill will allow the provision of electronic-based public services to residents and between government departments, the issuance of e-certificates by public departments to residents instead of traditional paper documents, and the notification of residents through electronic methods.
Chan pledged that personal data will remain protected even though the administrative procedures involve electronic procedures.
Lawmaker Leong Sun Iok asked about personal data privacy with regard to Macau’s smart streetlamps.
A government representative responded by saying that in the future, data collected by smart streetlamps will be handled by a mechanism created by the e-Government bill. The representative also revealed that there will be a sharing mechanism regarding data collected by smart streetlamps but this sharing will be regulated by a legal framework. JZ