HK privacy watchdog demands 14 social sites to remove 3,900 doxxing items

Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog has issued more than 770 cessation notices to 14 social media platforms requesting them to remove around 3,900 unlawful doxxing messages over the past eight months.The watchdog did not disclose which are the social media platforms. Ada Chung, privacy commissioner for personal data, said during a press conference that the office has been taking legal action since the new law against doxxing was passed last October. 

Under the law, the commissioner is empowered to demand local or overseas Internet service providers to remove private or identifying data and to partially or entirely block the platforms so as to restrict access of any persons to the corresponding content.

Chung described that a social platform with over 30,000 followers had removed doxxing information earlier in May, indicating that this was a correct move by the platform. Chung also added that her office is “trying [its] best to stamp out doxxing” but said social media companies also have the responsibility to do their part.

“I would also urge the operators of social media platforms to discharge their own responsibility to monitor any unlawful content regarding, for example, doxxing messages on their platforms. And they should also take action to remove the unlawful doxxing messages right away if those messages appear on their platform,” said Chung during the press conference.

When asked whether the office has banned public access on Telegram during the press conference, Chung did not disclose the legal actions taken on specific platforms, but she explained that banning a social platform depends on its amount of messages and channels related to doxxing, so as to avoid negative impacts on legal users. 

According to media reports last month including HK01 and RFA, Telegram might be targeted since more than 200 doxxing attacks are found every week. The platform, however, refused to delete relevant messages upon request from the privacy commissioner for personal data.

Telegram's spokesperson told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE then that it supports free speech and the right of all users to protest peacefully. "However, content that discloses personal information without consent (doxxing) is not allowed and routinely removed. These content moderation policies are universal and apply to every country," the spokesperson added.

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