Privacy Commissioner Launches Privacy Awareness Week

The Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Mr. Roderick B Woo, is pleased to launch the Privacy Awareness Week 2007 (PAW 2007) today (26 August) together with the Australian Privacy Commissioner, the New Zealand Privacy Commissioner, and the Privacy Commissioners of the Australian States of the Northern Territory, New South Wales and Victoria.

This is a promotional campaign jointly organized by members of the Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities (APPA) aimed at raising awareness of the importance of protecting privacy in the Asia Pacific Region.  It is also well supported by the Macau Consumer Council.  PAW 2007, which comprises a variety of activities, is held from 26 August to 1 September 2007 with the theme of “privacy is your business”.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of PAW 2007, Mr. Woo said: “This is the first joint promotional initiative by members of the APPA alliance.  We strive to set a good example to the whole world in the protection of privacy, which is important to everyone, as the theme suggests.  I hope that this meaningful event will eventually be extended to all parts of the world.  At local level, I appreciate all the enthusiastic support rendered by both the public and the private sectors reflecting the support for data privacy in our society.”

On the same occasion, Mr. Woo released the results of an opinion survey on “Attitudes of Young People Towards Disclosure of Personal Data on the Internet” (for details please refer to a separate media release on this subject).

On 27 August 2007, a seminar on online privacy will be held for members of the Data Protection Officers’ Club.  Two distinguished guests, Mr. Sean Lin, SIP of Hong Kong Police Force and Ir. Dr. K.P. Chow, Center Associate Director of the Centre for Information Security and Cryptography, the University of Hong Kong, will offer practical tips on the handling of personal data via electronic means.

In the digital era, data users are increasingly using biometric authentication systems (such as fingerprint scanner) for different purposes.  In providing clear guidance to data users in the course of collecting and using fingerprint data, a new publication titled “Guidance on Collection of Fingerprint Data” will be issued on 28 August 2007.

Nowadays, Blog and social network websites are prevalent among young people.  As young people are often seen as lacking privacy awareness, as evidenced by their willingness to give-away private information on these websites, the PCPD will hold a seminar on “Creative Thinking & Blog Writing Skills” to offer smart Blog writing skills on 29 August 2007.  Renowned writer Mr. Ong Yi-hing and DJ Mr. Francis Mak will provide guidance on privacy protection, creative thinking and blog writing skills.

Macau passed its privacy legislation in 2005.  Since then, it has been a common goal for Hong Kong and Macau to protect personal data privacy.  To enable members of the Data Protection Officers’ Club to share views and experiences with regards to data protection with representatives from different sectors in Macau, a familiarization visit will take place on 30 August 2007.

To wrap up the PAW 2007, a prize presentation ceremony for the writing competition cum PAW 2007 closing ceremony will be held on 31 August.  The international writing competition, one of the major PAW 2007 events, aims at encouraging students to consider the importance of privacy in their daily lives.  The competition gives students the chance to write about various aspects of privacy - their opinion of its relevance in today’s society, how it does or doesn’t affect them in their daily life and the influence that the internet has had on privacy.  The competition has received overwhelming responses with a total number of 244 entries from Hong Kong and Macau.

Details of the PAW 2007 events can be viewed on the official website of the PAW 2007 (http://www.privacyawarenessweek.org) and the website of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (http://www.pcpd.org.hk).