Promoting Awareness Data Protection Officers' Club (DPOC)

Data Protection Officers' Club ("DPOC") provides a platform for data protection officers from both public and private sectors to keep abreast of developments in personal data privacy. More importantly, members learn to take practical steps in handling personal data in their everyday work to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Ordinance. DPOC also serves as a forum for members to share work experiences and exchange views with people in the same capacity from other sectors.

In its 8th membership year, DPOC has successfully recruited over 240 members from a broad spectrum of industries and public sectors. Various kinds of activities took place during the membership year to enhance members' knowledge in data protection.

To provide a platform for members to learn good practices in data protection from each other, a familiarization visit to the Sony Corporation of Hong Kong Limited was organized on 26 May 2006. Members were amazed at the innovative and interesting ways of how Sony conveyed the message of personal data protection into the work culture for all levels of staff.

Privacy Commissioner Mr. Roderick Woo (middle) attended the DPOC luncheon gatherings and exchanged views on personal data with members.

Mrs. Bonnie Smith, Deputy Privacy Commissioner (right) and Mr. Alexandre Ho, President of Executive Committee of privacy Macau Consumer Council at the DPOC luncheon gathering.

Furthermore, the DPOC organized four luncheon gatherings in February and March 2007. The luncheons were held under informal settings. Members from different sectors were grouped into separate luncheons so that they could share their work experience in a relaxing atmosphere. Representatives from PCPD's Legal, Operations and Compliance Divisions had also joined the gathering and exchanged views with members. Members in general felt that the gathering were able to provide them a platform in building up a network with other data protection officers. In turn, they could broaden their knowledge in personal data protection during the experience exchange process.

To enable members to have a better understanding of the application of the Ordinance in relation to human resource management and property management practices, two series of privacy workshops entitled "Code of Practice on Human Resource Management" and "Personal data privacy in relation to property management practices" were held in November and December 2006.

Members attended various kinds of DPOC activities and shared experiences on data privacy protection with others.