Privacy watchdog urged to probe appearance of reporter’s photo on Facebook account after article alleges senior Hong Kong police officer Rupert Dover broke housing rules

A journalists’ union has urged Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog to investigate after a reporter’s photo was allegedly posted on social media by the wife of a senior police officer accused in a news report of breaching housing rules.

The profile picture of a Facebook account purported to belong to assistant police commissioner Rupert Dover’s wife was switched to that of the reporter after the tabloid-style Apple Daily published the article on Friday, a spokesman for the Hong Kong Journalists Association said.

“Since the incident involves the personal privacy of the journalist, our association urges the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data to follow up on and investigate the matter actively,” he said on Saturday.

The account, bearing the name of Dover’s wife, also a police officer, was no longer available, a Post search found.

A police spokesman did not comment on the specific case but said the force would investigate matters according to its procedures without prejudice, should an officer have breached the law or committed disciplinary offences.