Police suspected of disclosing protesters’ and journalists’ personal data to doxxing group
The chairwoman of Central and Western District Council Cheng Lai-king was taken into custody from her home in the early morning on 26 March. She was charged with sedition after re-sharing a Facebook post which contained personal information of a police officer accused of firing projectiles and blinding an Indonesian journalist last year.
The pan-democrats reacted strongly to Cheng's arrest and many were present at the police station to show their support. A 16-second video clip, apparently taken from a high floor of the police station was posted on the Facebook page of Chen Hok-fung, an ex-district councilor of Central and Western District and a member of Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong. Chen claimed that the video captured a group of pan-democrats, including lawmaker Ted Hui Chi-fung, handing over cash to supporters outside the Kwai Chung police station where Cheng was held, claiming these supporters were paid actors. The Democratic Party questioned the intentions behind the video as it appeared to be filmed from inside the police station, suspecting police officers were "spreading rumours".
Reporter of Stand News revealed that two male police officers were seen on an upper floor of the police station and one was holding up a mobile phone facing the entrance of the Station, allegedly taking videos. The police responded by saying, "the Force will look into the matter."
Throughout the Anti-Extradition Bill movement, the Police were repeatedly caught taking videos during their operations. Stand News received a complaint last October from civilians reporting that police officers may have disclosed his photo and personal information, including full name and phone number, to pro-establishment supporters for smearing and doxxing. The complainant pointed out that his personal information was only seen by police during an arrest. Soon after though, he was harassed by pro-government supporters, who were able to accurately cite his personal information.
Civilian found his photos on a Facebook page for the purpose of “doxxing”
At the end of last October, a civilian told Stand News that several police officers intercepted them near a protest scene, some took pictures of his face before he was released. He later found his photo on a pro-government Facebook page which specialized in "doxxing". Based on his posture and clothing, he confirmed that the photo was taken during that police interception, and suspected that the police had submitted his photo and personal information to the FB page.
The civilian said his case might be just the tip of an iceberg, as his friends encountered a similar or worse situation. “I have a few friends who found their personal information posted online only a few days after their arrest,” he said. A reporter looked through that specific FB page and indeed, found many photos of young people on it, including their names in Chinese. The page encouraged reporting from the general public through its hotline, but it was later removed for reasons unknown.
Medical staff harassed by “blue ribbons” after arrest, police may have released personal information
On 26 October 2019, medical staff rallied at Chater Garden, where an arrestee took the stage and said that he received numerous phone calls from pro-government supporters and mainlanders after his arrest. He suspected it was the police who disclosed his personal information.
Reporter expelled from press conference found her press pass photo disclosed online
In the press conference on 28 October 2019, a reporter read aloud a statement criticizing excessive obstruction of journalistic work by the police, and she also shone an intense beam of light at senior police officers at the media event. The police immediately suspended the press conference and expelled her from the scene.
[Forwarded from HT]
In an interview, the reporter revealed that a staff member of the Police Public Relations Branch took a photograph of her press pass at the press conference, and the picture with her name and image was later circulated in an online chat group.
Police have not responded directly to inquiry
In its reply to Stand News' inquiry on October 29 last year, the police did not respond to any specific incident but broadly mentioned that video filming has been focused on the course of an event, not directed at any individual. They claim the Force had formulated detailed internal guidelines and operational procedures on taking video footage, meeting provisions of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance.
Police suspected of impersonating protesters
In another incident on 28 December last year, at a rally in Telfold Plaza (Kowloon Bay) a police officer (identified as “kE T2-2 Pln Crd”) held up a phone and pointed it towards a Stand News reporter for filming. On the same day at around 7pm, the reporter found her photoghraph on a Telegram chat group set up for the rally by a user named Black Grey. Judging by the angle at which the photograph was taken, the reporter suspected it was a picture taken by that same police officer who pointed his camera at her. Reporters who were on scene at the time also confirmed that only the riot police were taking photos during the incident.
Two days later, Kwok, Ka-chun, the Chief Superintendent of the Police Public Relations Branch was asked whether frontline officers had infiltrated social media platforms, inciting protests. Kwok indicated that the police officer in question claimed the Telegram account did not belong to him and so he could not have uploaded the photograph. Kwok admitted that some officers on scene did take pictures that day and they were sent back to the Command Center. Still, he did not comment on whether the photograph was taken by a frontline officer. When being pressed, Kwok contested that many news reports were fabricated without concrete evidence.
High Court granted the police an injunction to ban doxxing of HK police
Last October, the Attorney General and the Commissioner of Police went to the High Court and applied for an injunction, prohibiting the disclosure of personal data of police officers and their family members, including names, positions of duty, addresses, social platform account names, license plate numbers, family photos, etc. Doxxers were ordered to “take all steps as may be necessary” to withdraw any disclosed data of police officers.
Source: Stand News
https://www.thestandnews.com/politics/%E8%AD%A6%E5%93%A1%E7%96%91%E5%A4%9A%E6%AC%A1%E6%8B%8D%E6%94%9D%E7%A4%BA%E5%A8%81%E8%80%85%E8%A8%98%E8%80%85-%E6%B4%A9%E5%B8%82%E6%B0%91%E5%80%8B%E4%BA%BA%E8%B3%87%E6%96%99-%E4%BA%A4%E5%BB%BA%E5%88%B6%E9%99%A3%E7%87%9F%E5%8A%A9-%E8%B5%B7%E5%BA%95-%E6%94%BB%E6%93%8A/ (https://www.thestandnews.com/politics/%E8%AD%A6%E5%93%A1%E7%96%91%E5%A4%9A%E6%AC%A1%E6%8B%8D%E6%94%9D%E7%A4%BA%E5%A8%81%E8%80%85%E8%A8%98%E8%80%85-%E6%B4%A9%E5%B8%82%E6%B0%91%E5%80%8B%E4%BA%BA%E8%B3%87%E6%96%99-%E4%BA%A4%E5%BB%BA%E5%88%B6%E9%99%A3%E7%87%9F%E5%8A%A9-%E8%B5%B7%E5%BA%95-%E6%94%BB%E6%93%8A/)
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