Hong Kong data privacy watchdog Allan Chiang is in the public eye
Allan Chiang's tenure as data watchdog started with a bang and has since seen big changes in the way Hongkongers think about privacy
Most people taking up a new job enjoy a honeymoon period. But when Allan Chiang Yam-wang took the reins at the privacy watchdog on August 4, 2010, the first item on his desk was one of the city's biggest ever data-breach scandals.
The revelation that Octopus Cards had sold personal information on millions of customers led to an investigation, the resignation of its CEO and, eventually, amendments to the privacy law. And it set the scene for a five-year tenure that has seen the rise of technology change the privacy picture immeasurably.
"The Octopus Card scandal was a big turning point for Hong Kong. The whole atmosphere changed," said Chiang, whose term as Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data ends in August. "The public's understanding of data privacy issues was not high prior to this. After Octopus, this was strengthened."
The Octopus case put the issue of privacy front and centre for Hongkongers, for whom the smart payment card is a ubiquitous feature of life. Outrage that Octopus had sold personal data was further stoked by revelations in the inquiry that those partners had resold the data.
"This was when we felt we needed to strengthen the [Personal Data (Privacy)] Ordinance," said Chiang, now 63.
Much has changed in the city's data privacy landscape since the 2010 "watershed". Smartphones and tablets, for instance, were only just coming into widespread use and Edward Snowden was still an unknown American intelligence contractor who had yet to make his mark on history.