https://www.scmp.com/rss/508088/feed Ada Chung Lai-ling is Hong Kong’s Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ada Chung Lai-ling Ada Chung Lai-ling As artificial intelligence (AI) develops rapidly, an increasing number of organisations are leveraging this technology to streamline operations, improve quality and enhance competitiveness. However, AI poses security risks, including personal data privacy risks, that cannot be ignored. For instance, organisations developing or using AI systems often collect, use and process personal data, posing privacy risks such as excessive collection, unauthorised use and breaches of personal data. The... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3311070/hong-kong-firms-must-take-initiative-safe-ai-practices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3311070/hong-kong-firms-must-take-initiative-safe-ai-practices?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 May 2025 08:30:08 +0000 To harness the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI), organisations across the globe have been exploring ways to integrate AI into their operations in order to optimise efficiency and leverage algorithms to perform granular analyses. This phenomenon is evident in Hong Kong too. About 41 per cent of Hong Kong companies are applying or planning to apply AI technologies, according to a study released in March by the Hong Kong Productivity Council and the Hong Kong Institute of Economics and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3271468/how-hong-kongs-ai-data-guidelines-can-help-firms-embrace-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3271468/how-hong-kongs-ai-data-guidelines-can-help-firms-embrace-future?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jul 2024 01:30:10 +0000 In an increasingly interconnected world, what happens when parenting goes online? The phenomenon of “sharenting” (a portmanteau of “sharing” and “parenting”) is not new, but its growing popularity amid the rise of social media platforms is increasingly raising privacy concerns. A recent survey by the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong found that more than 80 per cent of Hong Kong parents had shared details of their children’s lives on social media, with almost 30 per cent having never asked for... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3249385/harmless-fun-think-twice-sharing-your-childrens-lives-online?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3249385/harmless-fun-think-twice-sharing-your-childrens-lives-online?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jan 2024 01:30:12 +0000 Globally, the use of different social media and online shopping platforms is experiencing a meteoric rise. According to Forbes, the number of social media users worldwide has hit a record high of 4.9 billion this year, and it is expected that almost 21 per cent of retail purchases this year will take place online. The prevalence of online services, however, comes with data security risks that cannot be overlooked. According to a report released by the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3233356/when-you-shop-or-browse-online-know-your-personal-information-isnt-really-safe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3233356/when-you-shop-or-browse-online-know-your-personal-information-isnt-really-safe?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Sep 2023 00:15:16 +0000 Artificial intelligence and, in particular, the rise of generative AI-powered chatbots such as Open AI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Bard, Microsoft’s Bing chat and Baidu’s Ernie Bot, has been making waves. While many embrace these technological breakthroughs as a blessing for humankind, the privacy and ethical implications behind the use of AI demand closer scrutiny. An open letter calling for a six-month pause on the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4, to allow for the development and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3216829/short-pause-development-powerful-ai-can-ensure-proper-data-and-privacy-controls-long-run?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3216829/short-pause-development-powerful-ai-can-ensure-proper-data-and-privacy-controls-long-run?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Apr 2023 00:15:14 +0000 With the more contagious Omicron variant sweeping across the world, governments have been ramping up efforts to address the new challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Since early this year, Hong Kong has been hard hit by the Omicron wave, and the gravity of the outbreak necessitates new and more effective containment measures. The vaccine pass arrangements, which took effect on February 24, require citizens to have had at least one vaccine dose (or to produce medical exemption certificates... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3168199/hong-kongs-vaccine-pass-vital-and-secure-tool-war-against-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3168199/hong-kongs-vaccine-pass-vital-and-secure-tool-war-against-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Feb 2022 22:45:09 +0000 The introduction of anti-doxxing to Hong Kong’s privacy law on October 8 heralds a new era in the regulatory protection of personal data, in criminalising the disclosure of other people’s personal data without consent. The new law, called the Personal Data (Privacy) (Amendment) Ordinance, also empowers the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data to carry out criminal investigations, institute prosecutions for doxxing-related offences and order the removal of doxxing messages. Under the changes,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3155084/hong-kongs-anti-doxxing-law-plugs-privacy-loophole-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3155084/hong-kongs-anti-doxxing-law-plugs-privacy-loophole-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Nov 2021 22:45:20 +0000 The use of social media, including instant messaging apps, is certainly part of everyday life for people in Hong Kong. Nonetheless, such use also carries inherent, non-negligible privacy risks in relation to their personal data. According to a survey conducted by my office last year, 77 per cent of respondents had an account with a social media platform and 48 per cent used that platform on a daily basis. In addition, 93 per cent of respondents used smartphones, of which 98 per cent had... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3130114/personal-data-and-privacy-social-media-users-must-realise-theres?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3130114/personal-data-and-privacy-social-media-users-must-realise-theres?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Apr 2021 01:15:14 +0000 Doxxing should not be tolerated in any civilised society, and I regret to note that personal data is being used nowadays in Hong Kong as a weapon to hurt, intimidate or silence others with different political views. Doxxing involves gathering the personal data of a target or their family members and the subsequent disclosure of that data on the internet, social media or other open platforms without their consent. In a typical case, the most common personal data disclosed can include photos, Hong... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3112865/doxxing-intolerable-any-civilised-society-and-theres-no-excuse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3112865/doxxing-intolerable-any-civilised-society-and-theres-no-excuse?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Dec 2020 22:45:08 +0000