Data hk is an online database that provides access to more than one million open data sets from various sources. Users can use the website to find the right data sets for their research, including a range of information about Hong Kong and its people, economy, environment, and climate change. The database also offers the possibility to download datasets and create visualizations of them.
While a data transfer impact assessment is not required under the PDPO, there are increasing circumstances in which a Hong Kong business will need to consider whether it should conduct a data transfer impact assessment. This is particularly true if the business intends to export personal data outside of Hong Kong.
In these circumstances, a data transfer impact assessment will help the business to decide whether a particular transfer should be made. This is because a data transfer impact assessment will assist the business in identifying potential risks that could be associated with the proposed transfer, and determining whether any mitigating measures can be taken to address those risks.
The process of data collection is an important element of the PDPO, as it determines how personal data can be collected and used. As a result, it is vital that the data collector is aware of its obligations under the PDPO. This includes its obligation to inform data subjects of the purpose for which personal data is being collected and the classes of persons to whom the personal data may be transferred. It is also important to remember that a data user can only transfer personal data outside of Hong Kong if it has the voluntary and express consent of the data subject.
A number of studies have highlighted the dual role of data in contentious politics and social movements, arguing that data is both a source of contention and a weapon in action repertoires (Flesher Fominaya & Gillan, Citation2019). This article draws on research carried out during the 2019 anti-establishment protests in Hong Kong to illustrate this phenomenon. In particular, the article examines how different ideologically opposed groups weaponized the same data objects (legal name, locatability, pattern knowledge) through their respective data practices and perceptions of those data.
Despite being a separate legal jurisdiction under the “one country, two systems” principle, mainland China is increasingly integrated into Hong Kong’s economic and social life. As a result, the volume of data flow between the two is increasing. This makes it all the more important for Hong Kong to develop a robust legal basis for data transfer. This is where section 33 can play a role.