Media Statements

“Trust, Respect and Ethics in Managing Data are Crucial in Building a Better Future for Digital Economy”
Privacy Commissioner Delivers Keynote Speech at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain

(7 March 2018)　The Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Hong Kong (“Privacy Commissioner”) Mr Stephen Kai-yi WONG was invited to deliver a keynote speech at Ministerial Programme of the GSMA Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona, Spain on 27 February 2018. The Mobile World Congress, themed on “Creating a Better Future” and with first-ever focused discussions about data protection, was attended by more than 106,000 representatives from businesses, governments, regulators and academia. 

The Ministerial Programme of GSMA Mobile World Congress provides a unique forum where challenges and opportunities of the mobile industry are discussed annually. In the session entitled “Increasing Consumer Trust through Smart Data Privacy Policies”, the Privacy Commissioner stressed the importance of trust, respect and ethics in building a better future for digital economy. The Privacy Commissioner said, “It is no exaggeration to say that nowadays ‘smart’ technologies like the Internet of Things, big data analytics (BD), artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) fuel the engine of the digital economy.  While BDAIML makes our lives easier, we provide our data to make BDAIML work better. While consumers disclose to data users or controllers all their sensitive data, we do expect data users or controllers not to betray consumers’ trust. Herein, accountability involves taking proactive and preventive measures to ensure privacy protection and legal compliance.”

The Privacy Commissioner emphasised the significance of data security: “When it comes to data protection and accountability, first and foremost is data security. Data security is a necessary condition in protecting personal data privacy. There is no privacy without data security.”

Nonetheless, the Privacy Commissioner also pointed out that privacy protection is more than data security alone, and data users or controllers owe an ethical obligation to protect the individuals’ personal data: “We also need to pay attention to the reasonable expectations, rights, interests and freedoms of the individuals concerned when processing personal data.  In this regard, I urge data users and controllers to embrace two principles: (1) no surprise to consumers and (2) no harm to consumers.”

“Consumers who have trust and confidence in a company are more ready and willing to share their data with the company, generating positive feedback to the digital ecosystem and reinforcing the symbiotic relationship between individual consumers and BDAIML,” the Privacy Commissioner stressed.

To engage organisations and recognise their efforts in implementing accountability in data protection, the Privacy Commissioner stated that he will invite organisations to share their good strategies and practices in data protection and will incentivise them and award those having made commendable efforts in protecting and respecting personal data privacy.  The office of the Privacy Commissioner will also conduct a study on data ethics. The study will look for guiding principles and practicable framework for fair and ethical processing of data in the context of BDAIML. Local organisations have been invited to participate in the study by providing advice and comments.  Other efforts in engaging organisations such as Data Protection Officers’ Club, industry specific campaigns, educational workshops and seminars, etc. will also be strengthened.

To conclude, Mr Wong said, “As consumers’ privacy awareness and expectation increases, and ICT development expedites, the attitude of data processors and users should correspondingly be changed.  On top of fair enforcement and regulating, we will work together with organisations, public and private data controllers and processors included, for a better and safer digital ecosystem in this age of data.”
 
The Privacy Commissioner was also invited to share his views on other occasions on the various regulatory approaches for the use of personal data in a variety of contexts.

Hosted by Groupe Spécial Mobile Association (GSMA), the Mobile World Congress is the world's largest gathering for the mobile industry leaders. The event included a world-class conference featuring visionary keynotes and thought-provoking panel discussions, and an exhibition displaying the cutting-edge products and technologies that define the future of mobile. More information about the 2018 Mobile World Congress can be found at: https://www.mobileworldcongress.com