customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

knowledgeQuestion

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Christy Leung

Two Hong Kong police officers have been verbally warned for holding reporters’ identity cards in front of live-streaming cameras on two occasions during the ongoing anti-government protests, the Post has been told.
A force insider admitted a sergeant and a police constable had not been sensitive enough while handling personal data.
“We have verbally warned them and asked them to be cautious,” the source said on Tuesday. “As the reporters filed a complaint, an internal investigation is under way. The pair may face disciplinary action.”
The Hong Kong Journalists Association expressed “extreme anger” over the issue after the latest incident, on Sunday, marked the second such case since December 26.

The association accused police of “continuously breaking their promise to respect the freedom of the press and the right to media coverage”.
On Sunday, a Stand News reporter covering a rally at Chater Garden was stopped and searched twice in Admiralty.
In a video capturing the search published on the media organisation’s Facebook page, the officer can be seen holding out the reporter’s identity card to his camera, which had been filming the protest live.
The head of the police public relations branch, Kenneth Kwok Ka-chuen, said the following day the reporter had not been wearing a press vest at the time of the incident, but said the force attached great importance to privacy.
75-fold increase in doxxing complaints amid protests in 2019
Stand News journalist Ronson Chan claimed his colleague had displayed his press pass and it was clear the officer knew he was being filmed, because he could be heard on camera telling the reporter to stop recording.
The reporter’s camera phone was later snatched and damaged, Stand News said.
Chan, who also had his identity card displayed on a live stream while covering a protest on Boxing Day last year in Tai Po accused police of treating reporters differently from others when they were stopped.
The two reporters have lodged a complaint with the Complaints Against Police Office, while Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data Stephen Wong Kai-yi said he would investigate both cases.
Wong on Tuesday said his office had received 2,480 complaints related to Chan’s incident on December 26, adding he would write to Commissioner of Police Chris Tang Ping-keung to remind him of the ordinance related to the incident.
Privacy watchdog to investigate officer who live-streamed journalist’s personal data
Speaking after attending a district council meeting on Wednesday, Tang confirmed that two officers had been spoken to.
“We think it is inappropriate [to display people’s ID cards], the relevant colleagues have been warned,” Tang said. “We hope these incidents will not happen again.”
Tang did not say if the officers would face further disciplinary action.
Stand News chief editor Chung Pui-kuen recognised Tang’s prompt response, but said the warning could not reflect the seriousness of the issue, and hoped the police chief could prevent it happening again.
Additional reporting by Sum Lok-kei


Hong Kong judge urges ‘severe’ sedition penalties, jails 2 in first Article 23 law sentences

Prosecutors accuse Hong Kong ex-opposition lawmaker of inciting riot against ‘white shirts’

Hong Kong court jails 8 for up to 4½ years for rioting during 2019 PolyU siege

Hong Kong man pleads guilty to sedition for wearing clothes with pro-independence slogans

Hong Kong protests

Police officers ‘received verbal warnings’ for holding reporters’ identity cards in front of live-streaming cameras during Hong Kong protests

A police insider has confirmed that two officers have been verbally warned for their actions. Photo: Stand News

Police officer displayed a Stand News reporter's identification card on camera during a protest rally on Sunday, saying the person had not been wearing a press vest and the officer was unaware he was filming. 20JAN20 Photo: Stand News

News

Hong Kong

Law and Crime


Force insider admits a sergeant and a constable were not sensitive enough while handling personal data and have been verbally warned
Journalists’ group accuses police of ‘continuously breaking their promise to respect the freedom of the press’



Force insider admits a sergeant and a constable were not sensitive enough while handling personal data and have been verbally warned.


Hong Kong extradition bill

Hong Kong police

Doxxing and cyberbullying

Police officers ‘received verbal warnings’ for holding reporters’ identity cards in front of live-streaming cameras during Hong Kong protests

Force insider admits a sergeant and a constable were not sensitive enough while handling personal data and have been verbally warned Journalists’ group accuses police of ‘continuously breaking their promise to respect the freedom of the press’

Force insider admits a sergeant and a constable were not sensitive enough while handling personal data and have been verbally warned

Journalists’ group accuses police of ‘continuously breaking their promise to respect the freedom of the press’