The operator and founder of the ‘Wonderful World’ website that names and shames Macau casino gamblers over bad debts faces a court hearing next month for violating local data protection laws, Business Daily has learned. The website 99world.com – branded ‘Wonderful World’ – discloses debtors’ personal information including their photograph, name, nationality and the amount of debt owed to the casinos. The website, launched in August 2013 and originally in Chinese and English, is now only available in Chinese and remained operational as of yesterday despite local police ordering it be taken down since last year. The founder and operator of the name-and-shame website, Charlie Choi Kei Ian, is to face the first hearing of a lawsuit on April 16, with authorities charging him with violating the data protection laws, Mr. Choi told Business Daily during a phone enquiry. Mr. Choi, however, declined to comment further on the operation of Wonderful World and the lawsuit. Choi was ordered by police in March and April last year to remove all personal data from his Internet site listing personal information about delinquent gamblers. He received a letter in August that indicated possible criminal consequences if he did not follow the earlier order issued by the police. After more than half a year of investigation, Judiciary Police arrested Mr. Choi in early April last year for alleged ‘failure to comply with the obligation to protect personal data’, which falls under Article 37 of the data protection laws. Under the Article, an offender can be imprisoned for a maximum of one year or fined up to MOP1.2 million (US$150,249). Lai Changtu, a younger brother of Yuanhua Group founder Lai Changxing, jailed for life for smuggling and bribery, will be among six witnesses summoned to Choi’s case, Hong Kong’s Chinese-language newspaper Hong Kong Economic Journal reported yesterday.
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