Hong Kong: Entry into force of Personal Data (Privacy) (Amendment) Bill 2021

The Personal Data (Privacy) (Amendment) Bill 2021 has come into force on 8 October 2021. The law sets to (i) criminalise doxxing acts; (ii) empower the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data to conduct criminal investigations and prosecute doxxing cases; and (iii) confer on the Commissioner powers to demand the removal of doxxing content from online platforms. Alongside the announcement of the law taking effect, the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data noted that it has published an Implementation Guideline that outlines the changes to the offences and the sanctions that will be applied. In addition, a telephone hotline was set up to deal with enquiries and complaints regarding doxxing activities, and a portal on the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data's website was created to provide additional information on doxxing.