The government yesterday launched a 45-day public consultation on a bill on cyber security which proposes the mandatory implementation of real-name registration for the provision of telecom services – i.e. customers will be required to provide their real identification data to telecom service operators, including when a customer buys a pre-paid SIM card.
A press conference about the public consultation was held yesterday at the S. Francisco Barracks. The public consultation will end on January 24. Three public sessions will be held during the consultation period.
Addressing yesterday’s press conference, Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak said that a cyber security law will provide a legal basis for the establishment of the city’s cyber security, while also specifying the duties and responsibilities of entities operating the city’s “critical infrastructure” relating to information technology and other cyber systems.
The public consultation document notes that while there is a law regulating the city’s information technology and network systems – the anti-computer crime law enacted in 2009, there is no law regulating the administration of cyber security.
Wong stressed that the role of the relevant government entities would be confined to providing cyber security advice and alerts, in the event that any irregular flow of data is detected or if there are any cyber threats.
Wong also said that the authorities would neither monitor individual online activities nor restrict or prejudice, in any form, the freedom of speech enjoyed by Macau residents. He said that unless authorised by the judiciary, government entities would neither analyse nor seek to decode any security-encrypted content posted online.
According to the consultation document, the bill proposes that when a telecom service operator signs a contract with a customer for the provision of telecom services, the operator has to require the customer to provide his or her identification data.
According to Wong, the proposed implementation of real-name registration would also include pre-paid SIM cards. He reassured the public that the proposed real-name registration would not require netizens to use their real identities when they post comments or opinions on the Internet.
When asked by reporters how the protection of personal data can be ensured as residents can buy a pre-paid SIM card in many local shops, Personal Data Protection Office (GPDP) Director Yang Chongwei replied that after the implementation of real-name registration, businesses which sell pre-paid SIM cards would be required to be capable of properly handling personal data.
After the public consultation and discussion by the government’s top advisory Executive Council, the bill is slated to be submitted to the Legislative Assembly for debate and vote next year.
Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak speaks during yesterday’s press conference about a public consultation on a cyber security bill, at the S. Francisco Barracks. Photo: GCS
