Journalists from pro-democracy Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily among more than 90 people doxxed by anonymous anti-protest website
- Paper’s owner Jimmy Lai also among lawmakers and activists whose purported personal details were posted by website posted on Russian domain
- Privacy Commissioner Stephen Wong says his office has requested site to remove all posts and has referred case to police
Almost 20 staff from the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, alongside over 70 activists, student leaders and alleged protesters, have been doxxed by a website apparently run by elements opposed to the ongoing demonstrations in Hong Kong.
Expressing grave concern, Privacy Commissioner Stephen Wong Kai-yi said his office had already requested the website to remove and stop uploading all posts involving cyberbullying or illegal acts and had referred the case to the police.
The site in question has called on members of public to provide details of individuals by email, with a tagline saying: “We want to know who these people are and why are they messing up Hong Kong”.
Purported personal details – including head shots, job titles, dates of birth, phone numbers, social media accounts and even residential addresses – of almost 100 activists, student leaders, journalists and newspaper staff were posted on the website hosted on a Russian domain.
Journalists have become the latest doxxing targets in the ongoing protests as the split in the city has deepened. Last month, the privacy watchdog said it had received 683 cases of cyberbullying and leaked personal data since the social unrest began in June, with more than 70 per cent of the cases involved police officers and their families.