Personal Data (Privacy) (Amendment) Ordinance 2012

Amendments to the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance include:

Statutory Powers and Functions of the Privacy Commissioner (effective 1 October 2012)

• The Privacy Commissioner may impose reasonable charges for any activities, services or publications launched for promoting the awareness and understanding of, and compliance with the Ordinance.
• The Privacy Commissioner has discretion to refuse to carry out or to terminate an investigation on various grounds. The Amendment Ordinance introduces an additional specific ground for this purpose, namely, the primary subject matter of the complaint is not related to personal data privacy.
• The Privacy Commissioner may disclose any matter if the disclosure is necessary for the proper performance of his functions or the proper exercise of his powers.
• The Privacy Commissioner is empowered to require any person to provide any document etc. for the purpose of verifying the accuracy of data user returns submitted by data users and to require data users to correct inaccurate information in the returns.