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A 36-year-old Female Arrested for Suspected Doxxing of a Couple Arising from Monetary Disputes

Date: 30 June 2025 

A 36-year-old Female Arrested for Suspected Doxxing of a Couple
Arising from Monetary Disputes

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) today arrested a Chinese female aged 36 in the New Territories. The arrested person was suspected to have disclosed the personal data of a couple without their consent, in contravention of section 64(3A) of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (PDPO).
 
The PCPD’s investigation revealed that the victims are married, and the arrested person was formerly a friend of the male victim. In March 2025, the male victim borrowed money from the arrested person, and sent her photos of his Hong Kong Identity Card (HKID card) and a “Demand for Rates and/or Government Rent” (Demand) addressed to the female victim via an instant messaging application. A dispute later arose between the parties regarding the repayment arrangement.
 
In early May 2025, four posts demanding repayment from the victims were published in a personal account on a social media platform. These posts included a photo of the male victim’s HKID card and a photo of the Demand. The HKID card photo disclosed the male victim’s personal data including his Chinese name, English name, Chinese Commercial Code of the victim’s name, HKID card number, date of birth, gender and photo, whereas the photo of the Demand disclosed the female victim’s English name and residential address.
 
In mid-May 2025, flyers demanding loan repayment were found posted on the corridor wall outside the victims’ residence. The flyers contained a partially redacted photo of the male victim’s HKID card, but disclosed the male victim’s Chinese name, English name, Chinese Commercial Code of the victim’s name, HKID card number, date of birth, gender and photo.
 
The arrested person is granted bail. The PCPD will continue its investigation into the case.
 
The PCPD reminds members of the public that they should not dox others because of monetary disputes. Doxxing is a serious offence. Moreover, identity cards contain sensitive personal data, and any reckless or intentional disclosure or reposting of copies of identity cards without the data subjects’ consent may constitute a doxxing offence. An offender is liable on conviction to a fine up to HK$1,000,000 and imprisonment for five years.

Relevant provisions under the PDPO

Pursuant to section 64(3A) of the PDPO, a person commits an offence if the person discloses any personal data of a data subject without the relevant consent of the data subject—
  1. with an intent to cause any specified harm to the data subject or any family member of the data subject; or
  2. being reckless as to whether any specified harm would be, or would likely be, caused to the data subject or any family member of the data subject.
A person who commits an offence under section 64(3A) is liable on conviction to a fine of HK$100,000 and imprisonment for two years.

Pursuant to section 64(3C) of the PDPO, a person commits an offence if—
  1. the person discloses any personal data of a data subject without the relevant consent of the data subject—
  1. with an intent to cause any specified harm to the data subject or any family member of the data subject; or
  2. being reckless as to whether any specified harm would be, or would likely be, caused to the data subject or any family member of the data subject; and
  1. the disclosure causes any specified harm to the data subject or any family member of the data subject.
A person who commits an offence under section 64(3C) is liable on conviction on indictment to a fine of HK$1,000,000 and imprisonment for five years.

According to section 64(6) of the PDPO, specified harm in relation to a person means—
  1. harassment, molestation, pestering, threat or intimidation to the person;
  2. bodily harm or psychological harm to the person;
  3. harm causing the person reasonably to be concerned for the person’s safety or well-being; or
  4. damage to the property of the person.