Privacy fears over police cybersecurity monitoring

The police have to adopt greater transparency in their monitoring of the internet so as to dispel public fears of privacy violations brought on by launch of the force's new cybersecurity centre, lawmakers and activists said yesterday.

The HK$9 million centre, located in the force's headquarters in Wan Chai, was launched yesterday to ensure internet security for government departments, public utilities, transport operators, communications service providers and financial institutions amid a surge of cyber attacks.

Authorities reiterated that police would monitor, with the consent of the institutions involved, only the flow of information, and not its content.

But information technology constituency lawmaker Charles Mok said the police should seek independent computer experts to review its procedures and technology, so as to safeguard against infringing upon the privacy and personal data of users.

"Now, the law enforcers and banks have agreed to monitor certain data. The banks may not find this a problem, but its clients may be worried," he said.

Activist Andrew Shum Wai-nam suggested that a statutory body be set up to monitor the centre's operation.