Privacy in Hong Kong data storage and processing is paramount; accurate and transparent data is vital to businesses that collect, process, and use personal information. Although Hong Kong SAR is one of the leading hubs for data processing and storage worldwide, its residents remain concerned about securing and protecting their own personal information.
Local people have become more conscious of their privacy rights and actively pursue legal protection for them. This article will examine some key data hk issues as well as provide suggestions on strengthening protections already in place.
Personal data refers to any information pertaining to an identifiable individual and includes names, addresses, email and phone numbers as well as IP addresses and location data that can be traced back to them. Data users must inform individuals why they are collecting this data as well as its intended use; this obligation extends to international transfers of personal data deemed “uses” under the PDPO.
The PDPO requires data users to only collect personal information that is essential for fulfilling its intended use, and should never be disclosed outside the company that needs it for that specific reason. This policy helps prevent personal data being mishandled for commercial or illegal gains.
Under the PDPO, any unauthorised disclosure of an individual’s personal data without their express permission is illegal and punishable with up to four years in prison. Furthermore, data users have an obligation under this regulation to notify their customers within 72 hours if there has been any breach in their personal data security – this allows individuals to take proactive measures and protect themselves more effectively from unauthorised disclosure of their data.
The extraterritorial application of the PDPO may create an urgent demand for data centers in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). This is particularly likely if mainland China permits Hong Kong to act as an entryway between Chinese economy and globalized economies like our own, such as our own GBA economy. Unfortunately, its full impact remains to be seen; therefore this article explores its ramifications on our region and beyond.