Date: 9 July 2020
Response to media enquiry on a video clip showing intimate acts inside a taxi and being circulated on the internet
Thank you very much for your enquiry about a video clip showing intimate acts inside a taxi and being circulated on the internet.
Without commenting on individual cases, the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Hong Kong (PCPD) responds in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (PDPO) as follows:
Enquiry
“Please kindly send me the PCPD's reply on media enquires on the leak of dash camera video clip from a taxi involving 2 passengers in intimate acts.”
Answer
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As of 10:00 am today, the PCPD did not receive any relevant complaint. At this stage, this office will keep in view the situation.
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On receipt of the data subjects’ complaints, we will handle the complaints in accordance with the PDPO and the established policy. We will ascertain the relevant facts, including the identity of the data user in the incident, to ensure fair enforcement of the law.
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For the time being, only media-reported information is available. Without information provided by the data subjects (or the taxi driver), this office is unable to take follow-up actions. Nonetheless, this office will keep in view the situation.
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The PDPO aims to protect human dignity. If someone effectively surrenders his or her dignity by doing some acts in semi-public space like inside a taxi which are generally regarded as improper or immoral, protection of this sort of privacy is nothing but a luxury. That said, individuals including taxi passengers should be well informed of the installation of camera and recording.
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The PCPD calls on the data subjects involved in the incident to complain to this office as soon as possible if they consider that their personal data privacy has been infringed.