Media Statements

Suspected Theft of OGCIO Mobile Phones 

 In response to media enquiry about the suspected theft of mobile phones of the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO), the office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) makes the following response:
 

• The Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Hong Kong (Privacy Commissioner), Mr Stephen Kai-yi WONG, has received a data breach notification and will follow up on it as a data breach incident by way of conducting a compliance check.
• The Privacy Commissioner notes the suspected theft of two mobile phones used for monitoring persons under compulsory home quarantine. Names, telephone numbers, shared locations and photos of these persons but no detailed addresses were stored in the phones. The Privacy Commissioner also notes that certain immediate remedial steps have been taken by the OCGIO and the PCPD will work on this with the OCGIO with a view to containing any possible damage to be suffered by the data subjects concerned.
• Although currently there is no mandatory requirement for data breach notifications, the Privacy Commissioner encourages organisations to make notifications when data breach incidents take place. In this case, it is a good practice of the OGCIO to have taken the initiative to notify the PCPD and all those affected of the incident without delay. Filing of data breach notifications is conducive to collaboration between the PCPD and the organisations concerned to minimise the potential harm that the incidents may cause to those affected, and to identify improvement measures to effectively avoid the recurrence of similar incidents.