Mobile phone numbers belonging to a majority of lawmakers are recorded in the databases. Using mobile phone numbers held by LegCo members from last session and this session, at least 63 and 68 out of 71 members of the last LegCo session (including lawmaker Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu who was elected in the New Territories East by-election on 28 February) had their names traced on Truecaller and CM Security respectively the names of 68 lawmakers were traced with their mobile phone numbers. Photo: FactWire.įactWire downloaded the apps for testing purposes. The Sync.ME database integrated Charles Mok’s Facebook, Google and LinkedIn profiles into his contact information. Each app displays the name even when the holder is not a registered user and has not authorised the app to make his or her personal information available for search. When a telephone number is input into each app, the app will run a search in the billions of identified numbers in its database to trace the name of the number holder. The “Reverse Look-up” feature of the three apps allows users to trace the name of the number holder. The contact name of Chief Secretary for Administration Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor could be traced with her mobile number in the CM Security database.
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All three apps are available to download for free in the smartphone app stores of the Android and iOS systems.
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Smartphone apps involved include CM Security, product of US-listed company Cheetah Mobile whose main holding company is Chinese software company Kingsoft Corporation Limited (3888) Truecaller, product of Swedish information technology company True Software Scandinavia AB and Sync.ME, product of Israeli infotech company Sync.ME.LTD. The contact name of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying could be traced with his mobile number in the CM Security database. Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data Stephen Wong Kai-yi would not comment on whether or not the apps were illegal. Also listed are local and mainland officials, legislators and personalities from the business, politics, media, entertainment sectors, as well as members of the public. The database contains the numbers of Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and Chief Secretary for Administration Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. The three apps icons displayed on a smartphone screen. Around 3 billion such numbers and identities are accessible, FactWire has discovered.
Three Smartphone apps with the “Caller ID & Blocking” feature are collecting and integrating users’ phone address books into a publicly available database.
3 billion phone numbers and identities exposed by mobile apps, investigation finds - Hong Kong Free Press HKFP Close
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