The ESD Services Limited (ESDSL) is the contractor engaged by the Government through an open tender process to develop the ESD system. The Government makes use of the system to provide public services online. The contractor is also allowed to use the ESD system to provide private sector e-commerce services. The objective is to provide more comprehensive services to users and to make use of the ESD information infrastructure to pump-prime the development of e-commerce in the private sector.

This web site is operated by the ESDSL. The Government is only one of the content providers. The Government has no connection whatsoever with any of the commercial services or advertisements in this web site, and is not responsible for the provision of any such commercial services or advertisements. Nor does the Government endorse any of such services or advertisements. Users should make their own judgment on whether to accept the commercial services provided in this web site or provided by the advertisers of this web site.

The provision of any personally identifiable information in this web site to the ESDSL or in the context of using any of the commercial services is subject to the Privacy Policy Statement and Personal Data Collection Statement which are set out at the bottom of the first page of this web site. The arrangements are in compliance with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Chapter 486).

As regards Government services (apart from those hyperlinked services which are subject to arrangements in their original web sites) on this web site, the provision of any personal data by the users to the Government will be strongly encrypted automatically once the data leave the information systems of the users. Only the concerned department providing a specific service would access the data provided in obtaining such a service. The ESDSL is only responsible for the transmission of the data to the department concerned. The concerned department will also strictly follow the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Chapter 486) in handling the data.

If the Government services involve payment and the data provided include the financial information (such as debit card number, credit card number, or password) of the user, such financial data will be separately dealt with in the ESD system and will be strongly encrypted for transmission to the financial institution which the user selects for settling the payment. The Government and the ESDSL will only keep the confirmation from the financial institution concerned as to whether the payment has been successfully settled. Both the Government and the ESDSL will not keep such data.

Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region