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August 4 2016

Hong Kong Regulator to Begin Review of Data Privacy Laws

"Hong Kong will begin a review of its data privacy rules over the next 18 months, with a view to potentially updating them in line with technological developments and changes in European regulation, the territory's privacy regulator said. Hong Kong's data privacy legislation was drawn-up nearly 20 years ago and based at the time on European Union law, but recent changes to the EU framework and a technology-driven explosion in personal data may mean the current rules need to change, Stephen Wong Kai-yi, Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, said. ""It's not just a matter [of] protecting individuals, we would like to protect the interests of commercial enterprises,"" said Wong, adding that the regulator would propose legislative changes if appropriate. Hong Kong's data privacy laws are relatively strict, but a review of the regime would help to account for changes in technology and developments in international data privacy law that have occurred since they were last tweaked in 2012."