CUHK department triggers backlash over WeChat attendance registration policy
A department at Hong Kong’s second-oldest university has faced a backlash over asking students to use mainland Chinese messaging app WeChat to register their attendance and keep its location services enabled, later saying the decision was optional. The new policy was revealed after a screenshot of an email from the information engineering department at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)…
A backlash has erupted at Hong Kong’s CUHK university after a department requested students to use the Chinese messaging app WeChat for attendance registration and to keep location services enabled. The information engineering department announced the new policy via an email, stating that attendance would be recorded by scanning a QR code through WeChat.
The email warned that attendance would only be considered valid if the student's location was detected within the classroom. The decision was later clarified as optional, with students given the choice to either use WeChat or sign a paper attendance sheet in class. Critics questioned why the department did not adopt the university’s own app and raised concerns over privacy.
Some students expressed frustration, questioning whether they were now studying in mainland China. The department responded by stating that the WeChat app was one of two acceptable methods for attendance, with location services required if using WeChat. The Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data said they had not received any complaints but emphasized that personal data should only be collected lawfully and for necessary purposes.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
