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SCMP Reporter

Companies ignoring data privacy laws will be 'shocked' when they come into force, they were warned yesterday.

  Implementation of the legislation, signed into law by Governor Chris Patten in August, has been delayed while the Government seeks a privacy commissioner, to help enforce new consumer rights.

  The extra time businesses had been given to prepare was being wasted, according to Lisa Skoog de Lamas, vice-president of government affairs and business development for American Express, which she said had experience of this type of legislation from elsewhere in the world.

  Principal assistant secretary for Home Affairs Robin McLeish said there had been a 'mixed' response from companies over the laws but government departments were taking them seriously.

  Mr McLeish admitted that instead of being implemented in the middle of this year as he had hoped, even the third quarter would now be 'optimistic'.

   The legislation might not even be in force this year.

  Consumers will have a right to see and collect all forms of personal data held about them, including medical and employment records.

  Companies which misuse personal data, including those which used information about people to send them unauthorised junk mail, could get large fines or see managers put in prison.

  Ms de Lamas said overseas firms were already familiar with this type of law.

  But 'local companies, small companies, family companies' were not.

  'A lot of them are going to be shocked,' she said.

  She said the penalties were severe and many ordinary business practices would need changing, including enforcing much tighter security within a company.



Severe penalties predicted for firms' misuse of personal data