CUHK department triggers backlash over WeChat attendance registration policy

A department at Hong Kong's second-oldest university, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), has sparked controversy after implementing a new policy requiring students to use the Chinese messaging app WeChat to register their attendance and keep location services enabled. The information engineering department's decision was made public through a screenshot of an email that circulated on social media, revealing that attendance would be recorded by scanning a QR code via WeChat.

The policy, which was later acknowledged as optional, prompted widespread criticism from students and netizens alike.

Many students questioned the department's refusal to adopt the university's own attendance app and expressed concerns about the use of a non-CUHK app for tracking attendance. Netizens were particularly worried about the potential risks to their private data, with several accusing the department of using the app to monitor their activities. The post garnered hundreds of replies and was forwarded thousands of times on social media platforms, highlighting the widespread discontent among the university community.

In response to the backlash, the department clarified that students could use either WeChat or sign a paper attendance sheet in class, emphasizing that using WeChat was not mandatory. However, the department insisted that students enable location services if they chose to utilize the WeChat app. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Hong Kong's privacy watchdog, stated that it had not received any inquiries or complaints related to the situation.

The watchdog also noted that personal data should be collected for lawful purposes directly related to a function or activity by the relevant organization, ensuring that the information collected is necessary, adequate, but not excessive.