Complaints slow work
Work on the protection of personal data has been hindered by a flood of complaints to the privacy commissioner.
In a paper to be tabled at the Legco home affairs panel on Monday, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner says it does not have enough staff to inspect personal data systems.
A plea for funding for an inspection team was rejected last year, and the office plans to repeat its call for funding this year.
Statistics showed the number of complaints rose by 65.2 per cent, from 253 in 1997-98 to 418 in 1998-99.
The financial sector had the most complaints in 1998-99, followed by the telecom sector. Common complaints included using personal data without consent and inadequate security.
The commissioner issued 147 advisory or warning notices and 14 enforcement notices ordering remedial action.
