The Personal Data (Privacy) (Amendment) Ordinance 2012 (the "Amendment Ordinance") introduced various amendments to the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (the "Ordinance") to enhance the protection of personal data privacy of individuals, covering the following:

Direct Marketing
Disclosure of Personal Data Obtained Without Data User's Consent
Legal Assistance to Aggrieved Individuals
Strengthening the Privacy Commissioner's Enforcement Power
Statutory Powers and Functions of the Privacy Commissioner
Third Party to Give Consent to Change of Use of Personal Data
Data Access Requests
Outsourcing Personal Data Processing
New Exemptions

All persons who handle personal data are required to observe the provisions in the Ordinance. Staff members' attention is particularly drawn to the penalty imposed for disclosure of personal data obtained without data user’s consent as set out in the Amendment Ordinance.

Disclaimer

The information provided herein is for general reference only and does not provide an exhaustive guide to the Amendment Ordinance. For a complete and definitive statement of law, direct reference should be made to the Amendment Ordinance itself.

Acknowledgement

The information reproduced herein is adapted from an information leaflet, An Overview of the Major Provisions of the Personal Data (Privacy) (Amendment) Ordinance 2012, published by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Hong Kong (http://www.pcpd.org.hk/english/publications/files/ordinance2012_overview_e.pdf).