ReadWriteWeb

This week we're looking at Smart Cards, which have proliferated across the world mainly as a form of electronic payment for public transportation. Earlier this week we profiled Japan's cutting edge Suica Card and London's Oyster Card. Today we look at a widely used smart card that has been in service since 1997: the Octopus Card in Hong Kong.

Similar to Oyster and Suica, the Octopus card is powered by RFID. Octopus is used as a form of electronic payment in a wide variety of public transport, shops, restaurants, car parks and more. Indeed the Octopus has become an all-purpose identification system in Hong Kong - it's even used as an access control mechanism at certain offices, apartment buildings and schools. So do Hong Kong citizens have concerns about their privacy? It appears not...