Before launching a new mobile security system, Yuhan Corp. is demanding its salespersons agree on the company’s collection and use of their mobile location data. Employees raised concerns that the company might use it to monitor them, however.

According to sources in the pharmaceutical industry, Yuhan is collecting written agreements from employees for the use of “Smart device Security Mgmt (SSM),” a mobile security program offered by SK Telecom. Salespersons will use the SSM, which requires an agreement on the use of the user’s location data.

The written agreement form includes a statement, “To maximize the program’s effectiveness in preventing the leakage of the mobile device’s hardware data, errored information, and personal information, the program can collect the device’s hardware data and personal location information.”

The written form states that Yuhan is the receiver of the personal location data. Other information to be provided for Yuhan includes the device’s hardware data such as Wi-Fi Mac Address, International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), Sim Card serial and Global Positioning System (GPS) data.

Employees can refuse to agree on the written form, but the disagreement deprives them of the access to the mobile program, which is essential for their work, under the Financial Supervisory Service’s “guideline for protection of privacy in smart work of the financial industry.”

Yuhan salespersons say they cannot help but agree on the form.

“I don’t feel comfortable about providing of my location data. Some say the company will start using the program as early as next year. I’m just watching the situation for now,” a salesperson of Yuhan said.

Yuhan said the salespersons might have misunderstood about the service, explaining that their agreements are a simple procedure to use the new service. The company does not intend to collect the salespersons’ location data, it added. As the company is aware that its use of employees’ location information will lead to a violation of the Personal Information Protection Act, the salespersons will not have to worry about it, Yuhan said.

“As we provide tablet PCs to use the program, we get their agreements which is a necessary process. Other drugmakers are using it without any problems,” a Yuhan official said. “The agreement form was given by SK Telecom, which is the provider of the service. It does not have to do with our company’s decisions.”

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