Data Protection Legislation in Hong Kong : A Practical Perspective

Hong Kong is an important financial, commercial and industrial centre in the rapidly developing Far East region and information technology (IT) is used extensively in both the private and public sectors. Unlike many western countries, there are no information technology laws in Hong Kong at present, but the Hong Kong Government is seriously considering legislation in this area. This paper examines the current data protection practices in Hong Kong, discusses the issues raised in a recently published consultative document, and deliberates the implications for businesses and organisations if data protection law is effected in Hong Kong. 1 A revised edition of this paper has been published in the Journal of Information Technology Management, 5, 3, 59-63 (1994). 2 Formerly with the Dept of Information Systems

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