Date: 15 July 2024
Response of the Privacy Commissioner’s Office to the Consumer Council’s Study Report on Home Removal Companies
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) noted that the Consumer Council published a study report on the services of home removal companies, in which 10 companies were reported to have failed to establish a privacy policy, and one company was reported to state that the longest retention period for photos and videos used for quotation was 10 years. The PCPD has immediately initiated a compliance check on the matter, and would take the initiative to contact the companies concerned to follow up the matter.
Generally speaking, Data Protection Principle (DPP) 5 of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance requires data users to take all practicable steps to ensure openness of their personal data policies and practices, the kinds of personal data held and the purpose(s) of use. With regard to retention of personal data, DPP2 requires data users to take all practicable steps to ensure that personal data is not kept longer than is necessary for the fulfillment of the purpose for which the data is or is to be used.
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