Is my IC Number private?

[martincymru]

Is there any protocol that states who or which person or organisation can request or demand your IC number?

I was asked from the Arts House when purchasing tickets for a film. Why do they need my IC number?

[the lynx]

Is there any protocol that states who or which person or organisation can request or demand your IC number?

I was asked from the Arts House when purchasing tickets for a film. Why do they need my IC number?

Eff. They even ask FIN/passport/NRIC for everything! Even badminton court booking!

[rajagainstthemachine]

Are you German by any chance?

[durain]

Is there any protocol that states who or which person or organisation can request or demand your IC number?

I was asked from the Arts House when purchasing tickets for a film. Why do they need my IC number?

Eff. They even ask FIN/passport/NRIC for everything! Even badminton court booking!

i usually just leave my pack of tissue at the court to book it

[taxico]

Is there any protocol that states who or which person or organisation can request or demand your IC number?

I was asked from the Arts House when purchasing tickets for a film. Why do they need my IC number?

if they're not the cops or for filling out a necessary (not all) govt org's form, i don't think there's a law that states you must give out such info.

in person, often my wife would ask if giving personal details is mandatory and for what purposes/reasons. if she is not satisfied it's necessary, she will grill the other party.

at some point, the person who has been tasked with obtaining such info by the "higher ups" will give in and not get said info from the wife (unless absolutely necessary).

on a form, she just strikes it out if she deems it unnecessary.

it requires more time/effort, but if you want to protect your privacy you have to take the effort. most locals don't care.

[scarbowl]

I find my IC number is routinely requested but I rarely provide it. For movie tickets, for example, I say I am a tourist and I provide a fake passport number.

[JR8]

I was curious, so checked their website:

-----------------------------------------
'Ticket Delivery Method
Collection** from The Arts House Box Office (free)

** Kindly present the credit card used in this transaction and your NRIC/Passport/FIN Card upon collection of tickets for verification purposes. If the credit cardholder is unable to personally collect the tickets, he/she may authorise someone to collect on his/her behalf by showing the following document:

- A letter of authorisation signed by the credit cardholder
- A photocopy of the credit cardholder’s NRIC/Passport/FIN Card
- His/Her original NRIC/Passport/FIN Card
-----------------------------------------

Interesting how in 'the West' if you successfully make a CNP transaction (Cardholder Not Present) on a credit card, by default it's deemed legitimate, and if anyone is on the hook for anything dodgy it's the card issuer.

Here in some ways it's the reverse, you have to prove you have a right to make a CNP transaction. One wonders what motivates the retailer to inconvenience the purchaser in this way, on behalf of the credit card company.


-- Sistic do the same. And Singapore Airways also, re: tickets booked online.

[PNGMK]

Drives me nuts but saying that I've never experienced any issues with ID theft in Singapore so something is working.

[curiousgeorge]

With the Personal Data Protection Act entering effect from 2nd July, I think we're going to see some changes around this issue.

In fact, the legislation specifically calls out using the NRIC as data that is over-collected.

Organistation must tell you: what data they are collecting, why they are collecting it, what they intend to do with it, how long they intend to keep it, how you can access and view it, how you can make changes to that data.

If they don't report them to the Personal Data Protection Commission.

At M1 on Monday, the first thing they asked for was my NRIC.
"Why do you need that?"
"To look you up in the system"
"Use my phone number".

(Also had to deal with the fact M1 requires you to sign your contract digitally before printing it out, so you can't actually read it before signing. And they have option clauses to opt in to all their marketing and sharing of your information but its all ticked by default - nobody asks if you want to untick it. Under the PDPA this would be illegal.)

[PNGMK]

With the Personal Data Protection Act entering effect from 2nd July, I think we're going to see some changes around this issue.

In fact, the legislation specifically calls out using the NRIC as data that is over-collected.

Organistation must tell you: what data they are collecting, why they are collecting it, what they intend to do with it, how long they intend to keep it, how you can access and view it, how you can make changes to that data.

If they don't report them to the Personal Data Protection Commission.

At M1 on Monday, the first thing they asked for was my NRIC.
"Why do you need that?"
"To look you up in the system"
"Use my phone number".

(Also had to deal with the fact M1 requires you to sign your contract digitally before printing it out, so you can't actually read it before signing. And they have option clauses to opt in to all their marketing and sharing of your information but its all ticked by default - nobody asks if you want to untick it. Under the PDPA this would be illegal.)

Interesting stuff indeed. The Australian Personal Privacy Act actually made much harder and I suspect it will be the same here. I think days of giving someone your NRIC (the physical card) as a defacto consent to do things for you will come to an end for example.

[JR8]

(Also had to deal with the fact M1 requires you to sign your contract digitally before printing it out, so you can't actually read it before signing. And they have option clauses to opt in to all their marketing and sharing of your information but its all ticked by default - nobody asks if you want to untick it. Under the PDPA this would be illegal.)

In the UK, and probably wider EU too, you cannot be held to a contract that you have not had reasonable time to study, and if necessary take advice on.

You can't be held to something you haven't even read. It would be considered 'hot-housing', unfair sales pressure/tactics etc. Same reason customers get default 'cooling off periods' to revoke any agreements entered into.

Maybe here one day too ...

[the lynx]

(Also had to deal with the fact M1 requires you to sign your contract digitally before printing it out, so you can't actually read it before signing. And they have option clauses to opt in to all their marketing and sharing of your information but its all ticked by default - nobody asks if you want to untick it. Under the PDPA this would be illegal.)

In the UK, and probably wider EU too, you cannot be held to a contract that you have not had reasonable time to study, and if necessary take advice on.

You can't be held to something you haven't even read. It would be considered 'hot-housing', unfair sales pressure/tactics etc. Same reason customers get default 'cooling off periods' to revoke any agreements entered into.

Maybe here one day too ...

The only place I've seen with "cooling off period" here is insurance policy. They have Free Look Period for one or two months after you receive the policy you have signed, so that you can opt out with initial premium returned if you change your mind.

[x9200]

It is also in Singapore.
http://www.mti.gov.sg/legislation/Pages ... 20Act.aspx

For example, any direct sale has legaly binding 5 days cooling off period.

[martincymru]

Related story is

Some Security guards are criminals yet we give them our IC for a few hours whilst we attend to our temporary business at said location.

One guy refused entry at Raffles Place last week and they had to call the occupant at level 33 to come down to verify. He did have his IC on him but refused to hand in.

No consistency here.

[PNGMK]

Related story is

Some Security guards are criminals yet we give them our IC for a few hours whilst we attend to our temporary business at said location.

One guy refused entry at Raffles Place last week and they had to call the occupant at level 33 to come down to verify. He did have his IC on him but refused to hand in.

No consistency here.

This I hate - handing over the actual IC. COnsidering I'm on my 3rd and it will cost $1000 to replace I don't like losiing control of it.