Protecting Your Personal Data in Hong Kong

Introduction

The revelation of the sale of customers' personal data by Octopus Holding Ltd, the leading electronic payment company in Hong Kong, to third party business partners for direct marketing purposes has sparked widespread public concerns over major privacy breaches by personal data collectors here. The concerns have spilled over to financial institutions and banks as they also receive and process voluminous amount of personal data from their customers by reason of their unique roles as lenders, deposit-takers and providers of various financial products and services.

The recent decision of the Administrative Appeal Board (the "Board") in Wing Lung Bank Limited v Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data may provide some useful insights on how banks should handle the personal data of their customers.