Hong Kong privacy watchdog to investigate police officer who showed journalist’s personal data to thousands during protest
- Officer showed the reporter’s Hong Kong ID card to camera during an altercation at a Tai Po mall
- Privacy commissioner Stephen Wong says his office will launch ‘proactive investigation’
Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog is to investigate a police officer for displaying a reporter’s identification card in front of a live-streaming camera during a protest on Thursday.
Speaking on Friday morning, the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Stephen Wong Kai-yi, said his office had not yet received a complaint, but would “launch a proactive investigation” after what he called “prima facie evidence” the law had been broken.
If the subsequent investigation uncovered a breach, Wong said his office would issue an enforcement notice requesting remedial actions to the relevant institution or person, and prosecute if the notice was ignored.
Wong was responding after two journalists’ groups in the city condemned the officer’s actions and claimed they had effectively doxxed Stand News reporter Ronson Chan.
Chan’s ID card was made visible to some 10,000 online viewers for about 40 seconds during an interaction with police, and he said he planned to file complaints with the watchdog, and the police force.
