The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) announced today (Nov. 18) that it recently reviewed 10 commonly used online travel platforms and applications, finding that all of them track user activities on their platforms, collecting data such as user location and browsing history.
The platforms reviewed include Agoda, EGL Tours, Expedia, Goldjoy Holidays, Miramar Travel, Sunflower Travel, Travel Expert, Trip.com, Wing On Travel, and WWPKG.
The PCPD stated that during the review process, all platforms actively worked to improve their privacy protection measures and user interface design. Currently, all 10 platforms display their privacy policies on their websites or applications, outlining the purposes for collecting users' data and the categories of third parties to whom the data may be transferred. However, in terms of obtaining users' consent for direct marketing, Sunflower Travel only offers a bundled consent option, while five other platforms are set to default to consent for direct marketing.
The Privacy Commissioner noted that only seven of the reviewed platforms (Agoda, EGL Tours, Expedia, Goldjoy Holidays, Trip.com, Wing On Travel, and WWPKG) specify their data retention policies in their privacy policies. Among them, Expedia's privacy policy ranked the highest in terms of readability, presenting the information in a clear and straightforward manner, and utilizing headings and tables effectively.
The PCPD has made nine recommendations to enhance privacy protection for these platforms and advises users to read the privacy policies and adjust their privacy settings when using online travel platforms. Users are also encouraged to delete accounts they no longer use to reduce the risk of data breaches. Additionally, the PCPD has noted that there are scammers impersonating online travel platforms to commit fraud, urging the public to remain vigilant.
Related News:
Current privacy and copyright laws apply to AI: Privacy Commissioner
Comment