Sustainability Governance
Anti-corruption and Whistle-blowing Policies
The Group upholds a corporate culture of integrity and dignity in management and expects all of its directors, management, and employees to adhere to high ethical standards. It is committed to full compliance with applicable national and international anti-corruption, antibribery, anti-extortion and anti-money-laundering laws and regulations. Regarding anticorruption practices, the Group’s CoC outlines the types of conduct strictly prohibited, and all directors, management, and employees are obligated to abide by this CoC. As stated in the CoC, corruption, bribery, embezzlement, or improper activities are strictly forbidden. The Group maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards any activities or behaviours that contravene the anti-corruption policy. All levels of management and employees are mandated to undergo a compulsory anti-corruption training every year. Moreover, the Group regularly provides pertinent refreshers and updates, together with pertinent information and resources, to its directors, officers, and employees in order to keep them informed on the most recent anti-corruption policies and initiatives of the Group. During the Reporting Period, the Group organised a series of training sessions of anti-corruption to board members and employees, covering topics including CSR regulations, types of misconduct, definition of bribery, individual liabilities, and consequences of bribery. Furthermore, all partnerships with suppliers, vendors and customers must strictly comply with the anti-corruption policy.
Information Security Management
The Group is committed to protecting information security, privacy, sensitive information and intellectual property rights of main stakeholders with whom the Group does business with, including suppliers, customers, consumers and employees. To ensure effective information security management by the information security teams, the Group has adopted the ISO 27001 Information Security Management System framework, implemented the Information Security Management System (ISMS), and continued to maintain validity of ISO 27001 Information Security Management System certification. In 2023, Taiwan headquarters and major factories in India obtained ISO 27001 certification which validates the Group’s commitment on information security.
The information security management reinforces the Group’s capacity to safeguard networks, computer data, systems, equipment, and client privacy within the Group. Additionally, the Group has two specialised teams, namely Information Security Governance Team and Information Security Maintenance Team, operating under the oversight of Hon Hai Technology Group’s Information Security Committee. These teams are dedicated to preserving client privacy and intellectual property rights, addressing information security issues.
Data Privacy
During operation, the Group periodically collects sensitive data for various purposes from the major stakeholders, including suppliers, customers, and employees. Regarding the collection, holding, processing, use, transfer, and disposal of such data, the Group is aware of its responsibilities and strictly complies with relevant laws and regulations. Personal information is gathered only for legitimate and relevant reasons, and appropriate measures are taken to ensure the accuracy of personal information kept by the Group.
The Group strives to protect personal data from unauthorised access and abuse. Employees are contractually obligated to protect any sensitive or confidential information they have access to during their employment. We carefully protect customers’ information. In the event of an accident, we are committed to cooperating with the client to investigate and reinforce the training and regulations to mitigate the risks involved.
Intellectual Property Rights
The Group remains committed to ongoing investment in innovative technology research and development to create outstanding value for customers. As of December 2023, the Group has accumulated a total of 1,646 patent applications worldwide, including 543 in software and 1,103 in areas related to antenna design, mobile devices, and other hardware. With 1,419 patents granted, distribution primarily spans regions such as the United States, the PRC, Taiwan, and Europe. As the Group has relied in part on its capacity to provide customers with technologically sophisticated manufacturing and production processes, as well as innovative mechanical product designs and developments, and has thus safeguarded its and its customers’ respective intellectual property rights (“IPR”).
The Group values intellectual property rights and endeavours to ensure that none of the products or services it provides involve any violation of IPR. We understand the importance of protecting intellectual property while facilitating the transfer of technology and know-how. To achieve this, we have implemented stringent measures to safeguard customer and supplier information. According to the CoC, we require the signing of intellectual property non-disclosure agreements with our employees, customers, and suppliers to further strengthen IPR protection. Employees are not allowed to disclose any known or managed protected information to competitors or any third parties without the direct authorisation by the disclosing party. Furthermore, the policy prohibits infringement through copying or cribbing, whether directly or indirectly, of the intellectual property and trade secrets of the Group, stakeholders or third parties. Procedures for the Group’s legal department to review and determine the appropriate legal actions in the event of a potential violation are also included in the policy.