HKBN / HKS Members Area
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Terms of Use for the HKBN / HKS Members Area

Last updated: 12 April 2026

These Terms of Use govern access to and use of the Members Area and any related pages, functions and services made available through www.hkas.org.uk and any associated sub-domains or successor pages (together, the “Members Area”).

The Members Area is operated in connection with the Hong Kong Business Network (“HKBN”) and the Hong Kong Society (“HKS”). In these Terms, “we”, “us” and “our” mean HKBN and/or HKS, as applicable to the relevant service or activity.

HKBN is a company registered in England and Wales under company number 13236743, with its registered office at 4th Floor, Kings Buildings, 16 Smith Square, London SW1P 3HQ. HKS is an unincorporated non-profit membership association operating from the same correspondence address.

By registering for, accessing or using the Members Area, you confirm that you accept these Terms and agree to comply with them. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the Members Area.

1. Who may use the Members Area

1.1 The Members Area is intended for: (a) current members of HKBN and/or HKS; (b) authorised representatives of corporate members; (c) applicants for membership; and (d) any other person whom we expressly authorise to access particular parts of the Members Area.

1.2 Access is personal to you unless we expressly agree otherwise. You must not allow any other person to use your account, login credentials or profile.

1.3 We may require applicants and members to satisfy our membership eligibility, vetting and approval processes from time to time. Access to the Members Area does not guarantee admission to membership, continued membership, or approval of any listing, post or profile.

2. Your account and security

2.1 You must ensure that all information you provide to us is accurate, current and complete.

2.2 You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your username, password and any other login credentials.

2.3 You must notify us promptly if you know or suspect that: (a) your account has been accessed without authority; (b) your password or login details have been compromised; or (c) there has been any unauthorised use of your profile or account.

2.4 We may suspend, restrict or disable your account at any time if we reasonably believe that: (a) your account security has been compromised; (b) you have breached these Terms; (c) your membership has expired, been suspended or terminated; or (d) suspension is necessary to protect the Members Area, our members or our reputation.

3. Acceptable use

3.1 You may use the Members Area only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms.

3.2 You must not: (a) use the Members Area in any way that breaches any applicable law or regulation; (b) impersonate any person or misrepresent your identity, affiliation, business, qualifications or authority; (c) upload, post, transmit or circulate any material that is false, misleading, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening, discriminatory, hateful or otherwise objectionable; (d) infringe the intellectual property, privacy, confidentiality or other rights of any person; (e) use the Members Area to harass, stalk, intimidate or target any person; (f) send spam, chain messages, bulk unsolicited communications or unauthorised advertising; (g) scrape, harvest, mine or systematically collect data from the Members Area, including member contact details or directory information; (h) introduce viruses, malware, spyware, trojans, worms, logic bombs or any other harmful code; (i) attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Members Area, any server, database or account connected with it; (j) use the Members Area for party-political campaigning, political fundraising, coordinated lobbying, covert influence activity, intelligence gathering, or any activity inconsistent with the private and professional purposes of HKBN and HKS; or (k) do anything likely to damage, disrupt, overburden or impair the Members Area.

3.3 We reserve the right to investigate suspected misuse and to remove content, restrict access or take any other action we reasonably consider appropriate.

4. Directory, postings, offers and member content

4.1 The Members Area may allow members to create profiles, upload content, publish notices, advertisements, offers, business postings, event information, job postings, CV summaries or other material (“Member Content”).

4.2 You are solely responsible for your Member Content. You warrant that: (a) it is accurate, lawful and not misleading; (b) you have all necessary rights, permissions and consents to submit and publish it; (c) it does not infringe any third-party rights; and (d) it complies with these Terms and any posting rules, guidance or category restrictions we publish from time to time.

4.3 We may review, moderate, reject, edit, suspend or remove any Member Content at our discretion and without prior notice.

4.4 Publication in the Members Area does not amount to our endorsement, verification or approval of any Member Content, seller, buyer, employer, candidate, advertiser, service provider or opportunity.

4.5 We may impose category-specific rules, including rules for: (a) business advertisements; (b) social and cultural announcements; (c) jobs board postings; (d) candidate and CV listings; (e) member offers; and (f) event promotion.

4.6 We may label certain functions or categories as available only to particular classes of membership, including HKBN members, HKS members, corporate members or approved advertisers.

5. Buying, selling and other member-to-member dealings

5.1 Where the Members Area enables members to advertise or discuss goods, services, opportunities or events, any resulting arrangement, booking or contract is between the relevant users and not with us.

5.2 We are not a party to any contract between a buyer and seller, service provider and customer, employer and candidate, or advertiser and respondent.

5.3 We do not guarantee: (a) the quality, suitability, safety or legality of any goods or services; (b) the accuracy of any listing, profile, offer, post or statement; (c) that any job, candidate, service provider or business opportunity is genuine, appropriate or available; or (d) that any transaction or engagement will be completed.

5.4 You are responsible for carrying out your own due diligence before entering into any transaction or arrangement with another user.

6. Special rules for sellers, advertisers, recruiters and posters

6.1 If you post any business advertisement, offer, service listing, event listing, job listing or similar material, you must ensure that: (a) your description is accurate and not misleading; (b) you are entitled to offer the relevant goods, services or opportunity; (c) your content complies with all applicable consumer, advertising, employment, data protection and other legal requirements; and (d) any contract entered into by you is honoured in accordance with its terms.

6.2 You must not post: (a) unlawful, counterfeit, infringing or regulated items where you do not hold the required permissions; (b) discriminatory job advertisements or recruitment material; (c) misleading investment promotions or financial promotions issued without any required approval; (d) material that exploits the Members Area primarily for mass marketing or lead generation; or (e) any content that we reasonably consider inconsistent with the values, reputation or purposes of HKBN or HKS.

7. Confidentiality and use of member information

7.1 The Members Area is a private membership resource. Information made available through it, including member details, directory information, contact information, discussions and postings, must be treated as confidential and used only for proper personal, professional or membership-related purposes connected with HKBN and HKS.

7.2 You must not: (a) copy, extract or compile directory or member data for onward sale, mass mailings or unrelated commercial exploitation; (b) disclose non-public member information to third parties without a lawful basis and, where required, the relevant consent; or (c) publish screenshots or reproductions of non-public parts of the Members Area outside the network without permission.

7.3 Clause 7 does not prevent reasonable personal use of content within the Members Area for legitimate membership-related purposes, but any wider reproduction or external circulation requires our prior written consent unless permitted by law.

8. Intellectual property

8.1 We or our licensors own all intellectual property rights in the Members Area and in the material published by us on it, excluding Member Content owned by users.

8.2 You may view and use material from the Members Area for your own internal, personal and membership-related purposes only.

8.3 You must not reproduce, distribute, modify, publish, exploit or create derivative works from any part of the Members Area except: (a) as expressly permitted by these Terms; (b) with our prior written consent; or (c) as permitted by law.

8.4 By submitting Member Content, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, store, reproduce, display, format, adapt and make that content available through the Members Area for the purposes of operating, promoting, moderating and improving our services.

9. Third-party links and services

9.1 The Members Area may contain links to third-party websites, platforms or services.

9.2 Such links are provided for convenience only. We have no control over, and accept no responsibility for, anythird-party websites, content, products or services.

10. Availability and changes

10.1 We do not guarantee that the Members Area, or any content on it, will always be available, uninterrupted, secure or error-free.

10.2 We may suspend, withdraw, discontinue or change all or any part of the Members Area for business, operational, security or legal reasons.

10.3 We may update these Terms from time to time. The latest version published on the Members Area will apply from the stated “Last updated” date.

11. Liability

11.1 Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited under English law.

11.2 Subject to clause 11.1, we exclude, to the fullest extent permitted by law, all implied warranties, representations and conditions relating to the Members Area and its content.

11.3 Subject to clause 11.1, we shall not be liable for any: (a) indirect or consequential loss; (b) loss of profits; (c) loss of business or opportunity; (d) loss of goodwill or reputation; (e) loss or corruption of data; or (f) loss arising from reliance on Member Content or dealings between users.

11.4 Our total aggregate liability arising out of or in connection with the Members Area shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be limited to the amount paid by you to us for the relevant membership or service in the 12 months preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or £100 if no such amount was paid.

12. Termination

12.1 We may suspend or terminate your access to the Members Area immediately if: (a) you breach these Terms; (b) your membership ends or is withdrawn; (c) we reasonably believe your continued access presents a risk to members, the platform or our reputation; or (d) we are required to do so for legal or regulatory reasons.

12.2 On termination, your right to use the Members Area will cease immediately, but any provisions of these Terms intended to survive termination shall continue in force.

13. Privacy and cookies

13.1 Our use of personal data is governed by our Privacy Policy and, where applicable, our cookies information and consent tools.

13.2 You must ensure that any personal data you upload, disclose or otherwise process through the Members Area is handled lawfully and in accordance with applicable data protection law.

14. General

14.1 These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and us in relation to your use of the Members Area.

14.2 If any provision of these Terms is found to be unlawful, invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

14.3 A failure or delay by us in exercising any right shall not amount to a waiver of that right.

14.4 You may not assign or transfer your rights under these Terms without our prior written consent.

14.5 We may assign or transfer our rights and obligations under these Terms where appropriate as part of any restructuring, reorganisation or transfer of the relevant activities.

15. Governing law and jurisdiction

These Terms and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them or the Members Area shall be governed by the law of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction, unless applicable law provides otherwise.

16. Contact

Questions about these Terms should be sent to: Communications Team / Executive Director’s Office, Hong Kong Business Network / Hong Kong Society, 4th Floor, Kings Buildings, 16 Smith Square, London SW1P 3HQ. Email: ed@hkas.org.uk. Telephone: 020 7802 2012.

Privacy Policy for the HKBN / HKS Members Area

Last updated: 12 April 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how personal data is collected, used, shared and protected when you use the Members Area at www.hongkongpostings.com and any related services.

In this Policy, “we”, “us” and “our” mean the Hong Kong Business Network (“HKBN”) and/or the Hong Kong Society (“HKS”), depending on the relevant activity.

HKBN is a company registered in England and Wales under company number 13236743, with its registered office at 4th Floor, Kings Buildings, 16 Smith Square, London SW1P 3HQ. HKS is an unincorporated non-profit membership association operating from the same correspondence address.

For some activities, HKBN and HKS act independently. For other shared membership and Members Area activities, they may act as joint controllers of personal data. Our central contact point for privacy queries is communications@hkas.org.uk.

This Policy should be read together with our Terms of Use and any cookie notice or preference tools made available on the site.

1. Personal data we collect

1.1 Identity and profile data. This may include: name; title; date of birth or year of birth; nationality; gender, where you choose to provide it; profile photograph; biographical information; Hong Kong connection or background details relevant to membership eligibility; and membership category and status.

1.2 Contact data. This may include: email address; telephone number; postal address; and professional contact details.

1.3 Professional and membership data. This may include: employer, business name or organisation; job title, profession and sector; membership history; referral or proposer details; committee or volunteer role information; and records relevant to vetting, eligibility and approval.

1.4 Transaction and payment data. This may include: membership subscriptions; event bookings; payment status; invoices, receipts and related records. We do not generally store full payment card details where payments are handled by a third-party payment provider.

1.5 Content and communications data. This may include: postings, listings, advertisements, offers, event notices, CV summaries, job postings or directory entries; messages sent to us; correspondence with us or with other users through the Members Area, where available; and moderation records, complaints and dispute records.

1.6 Technical and usage data. This may include: IP address; browser type and version; device information; login history; pages viewed; dates and times of access; site usage and navigation information; and cookie and similar technology data.

2. How we collect personal data

2.1 Directly from you. For example, when you apply for membership, create an account, complete a profile, purchase membership or event access, submit a posting, listing or offer, contact us, or respond to surveys or membership enquiries.

2.2 From other members or authorised contacts. For example, where an existing member proposes or refers you, a corporate member nominates you for access or membership, or a colleague, employer or event host provides attendee details.

2.3 From public sources and checks we carry out. We may use publicly available professional information or information you provide to verify identity, professional background, eligibility or suitability for membership or access.

2.4 Automatically through the Members Area. We collect certain technical and usage data automatically when you use the Members Area, including through cookies and similar technologies.

3. How we use personal data and our lawful bases

We use personal data only where we have a lawful basis to do so. Depending on the circumstances, we rely on one or more of the following lawful bases: performance of a contract; taking steps at your request before entering into a contract; compliance with a legal obligation; our legitimate interests; and consent, where required.

3.1 Membership administration. To process applications, administer membership, renewals, payments, membership records and access rights. Lawful basis: contract; steps prior to contract; legitimate interests.

3.2 Vetting, referrals and suitability checks. To assess whether applicants or users meet our eligibility criteria, to review referrals, and to protect the integrity, safety and reputation of the network. Lawful basis: legitimate interests; steps prior to contract.

3.3 Operating the Members Area. To create and manage accounts, provide directory and postings features, operate event registration, manage offers, and maintain service functionality. Lawful basis: contract; legitimate interests.

3.4 Moderation, enforcement and security. To moderate content, investigate complaints, prevent misuse, enforce our Terms, detect unauthorised access, and protect members and systems. Lawful basis: legitimate interests; legal obligation where applicable.

3.5 Communications. To send service messages, account notices, membership notices, event administration messages, policy updates and responses to your enquiries. Lawful basis: contract; legitimate interests.

3.6 Marketing and promotional communications. To send newsletters, updates about events, membership opportunities, sponsorship, offers or related activities. Lawful basis: consent where required by law; otherwise legitimate interests where permitted, including certain business-to-business communications and communications about similar services to existing members where the law allows. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by using the unsubscribe link or contacting us.

3.7 Improvement and analytics. To understand how the Members Area is used, improve content and functionality, and develop new features or services. Lawful basis: legitimate interests; consent where required for non-essential cookies or similar technologies.

3.8 Legal and regulatory compliance. To comply with applicable law, respond to lawful requests, exercise legal rights and keep appropriate business records. Lawful basis: legal obligation; legitimate interests.

4. Special categories of personal data

We do not intend to collect special category personal data through the Members Area unless it is necessary and lawful to do so. Please do not upload sensitive personal data unless we specifically ask for it and explain the basis on which it will be processed.

5. Who we share personal data with

We may share personal data, where necessary and lawful, with the following categories of recipients: payment service providers; website hosts, IT providers and software suppliers; directory, database, CRM or email platform providers; professional advisers, including legal, accounting or insurance advisers; event hosts or venue operators, where attendee details are needed for registration, guest lists, building access, security or event management; employers or corporate member contacts, where relevant to nominated membership arrangements; service providers assisting with administration, moderation or support; and courts, regulators, law enforcement agencies or other authorities where disclosure is required or reasonably necessary.

We require service providers processing personal data on our behalf to act only on our instructions and to protect personal data appropriately.

6. International transfers

Some of our service providers may process personal data outside the UK. Where we transfer personal data internationally, we will do so only where permitted by law and with appropriate safeguards in place, such as adequacy regulations or approved transfer mechanisms.

7. How long we keep personal data

We keep personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes set out in this Policy, including to satisfy legal, accounting, regulatory and record-keeping requirements.

By way of guidance: membership records, for the duration of membership and usually up to 6 years afterwards; financial and payment records, usually up to 6 years after the end of the relevant financial year or transaction; unsuccessful applications, usually up to 12 months after the decision, unless a longer period is justified; directory and posting content, for as long as the relevant account or feature remains active, then archived or removed in accordance with our operational needs; complaints, investigations and enforcement records, for as long as reasonably necessary to resolve the issue and manage legal risk; marketing suppression records, for as long as needed to ensure we respect opt-out requests; and technical logs, typically for a limited period unless required longer for security or investigation purposes.

We may retain data for longer where required by law or where reasonably necessary for legal claims, dispute resolution or regulatory purposes.

8. Your rights

Depending on the circumstances, you have the right to: request access to the personal data we hold about you; request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data; request deletion of your data; request restriction of processing; object to processing carried out on the basis of legitimate interests; request portability of certain data; and withdraw consent at any time where we rely on consent.

The right to object to direct marketing is absolute. If you object to direct marketing, we will stop using your personal data for that purpose.

To exercise any of your rights, please contact communications@hkas.org.uk.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your personal data has been handled unlawfully or unfairly.

9. Cookies and similar technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate the Members Area, remember preferences, understand usage and improve performance.

Some cookies are strictly necessary for the operation and security of the site. Other cookies, such as analytics or similar technologies, may require your consent before they are placed on your device.

You can manage your preferences through our cookie banner or settings tools, and through your browser settings, although disabling certain cookies may affect how the site functions.

10. Data accuracy

You are responsible for ensuring that personal data you provide to us is accurate and kept up to date. Please tell us promptly if your details change.

11. Third-party sites

The Members Area may contain links to third-party websites or services. This Privacy Policy does not apply to third-party sites, and we are not responsible for their privacy practices.

12. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The latest version published on the site will apply from the stated “Last updated” date.

13. Contact

For privacy questions, data rights requests or complaints, please contact: Communications Team / Executive Director’s Office, Hong Kong Business Network / Hong Kong Society, 4th Floor, Kings Buildings, 16 Smith Square, London SW1P 3HQ. Email: ed@hkas.org.uk. Telephone: 020 7802 2012.