Date: 4 March 2024
Privacy Commissioner’s Office Strongly Condemns Ted HUI
for Suspected Doxxing of Hong Kong Judges
and Other Law Enforcement Officers
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) strongly condemns Ted HUI Chi-fung for blatantly disclosing the personal data of judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officers of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in an online post without the consent of the persons concerned, and his appeal to the public to provide him with further information of the officers concerned. The PCPD stressed that the relevant acts of Ted HUI may constitute doxxing offences under sections 64(3A) or 64(3C) of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (PDPO), and the PCPD strongly condemns him for such acts.
The PCPD reminds members of the public that doxxing is a serious offence. Uploading or reposting doxxing messages, as well as responding to some online calls for doxxing and disclosing the personal data of data subjects without their consents, may constitute a doxxing offence. Offenders are liable on conviction to a fine up to $1,000,000 and imprisonment for five years. Members of the public are urged not to respond to Ted HUI’s post by doxxing the officers listed in the post or providing the personal data of other officers.
Relevant Provisions under the PDPO
Pursuant to section 64(3A) of the PDPO, a person commits an offence if the person discloses any personal data of a data subject without the relevant consent of the data subject—
(a) with an intent to cause any specified harm to the data subject or any family member of the data subject; or
(b) being reckless as to whether any specified harm would be, or would likely be, caused to the data subject or any family member of the data subject.
A person who commits an offence under section 64(3A) is liable on conviction to a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for two years.
Pursuant to section 64(3C) of the PDPO, a person commits an offence if—
(a) the person discloses any personal data of a data subject without the relevant consent of the data subject—
(i) with an intent to cause any specified harm to the data subject or any family member of the data subject; or
(ii) being reckless as to whether any specified harm would be, or would likely be, caused to the data subject or any family member of the data subject; and
(b) the disclosure causes any specified harm to the data subject or any family member of the data subject.
A person who commits an offence under section 64(3C) is liable on conviction on indictment to a fine of $1,000,000 and imprisonment for five years.
According to section 64(6) of the PDPO, specified harm in relation to a person means—
(a) harassment, molestation, pestering, threat or intimidation to the person;
(b) bodily harm or psychological harm to the person;
(c) harm causing the person reasonably to be concerned for the person’s safety or well-being; or
(d) damage to the property of the person.
－End－