WhatsApp, one of Hong Kong’s most popular messaging apps, will soon no longer require users to share their phone numbers before they start texting. Starting this week, users can reserve a unique username, which allows them to text without swapping numbers, for use later this year when the Meta-owned service launches the feature. Users will…
A major bakery chain has been hit by a ransomware attack on its internal network, prompting Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog to seek details to assess the risk of a potential data leak. Kee Wah Bakery, known for its local and Chinese pastries, revealed the incident on Tuesday, after its internal network malfunctioned on Friday last…
Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog has warned of a new scam in which fraudsters impersonate an electrical appliance retailer to offer compensation or product replacements, with losses totalling HK$17,000 (US$2,170) in one case. A spokesman for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data said on Thursday that it had received 24 complaints and seven…
Hong Kong police have arrested an employee of a systems maintenance contractor hired by the Hospital Authority on suspicion of stealing the personal data of more than 56,000 patients and 1,000 staff members. The arrest of a 30-year-old local man came just days after the authority reported on Saturday a suspected data leak involving patients…
A computer system containing Hong Kong prison employees’ personal data has been hacked, compromising the information of 6,800 current and former staffers. The Correctional Services Department said on Friday evening that a hacker had gained illegal access to one of its IT systems on Tuesday. “After a preliminary investigation, the Correctional Services Department believes the…
A global investigation involving Hong Kong authorities has found that more websites and mobile apps designed for children are collecting personal data – ranging from phone numbers to addresses – than they did 10 years ago. The 2025 Global Privacy Enforcement Network Sweep, which included the participation of Hong Kong’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner…
The operator of Hong Kong’s Ngong Ping 360 cable car attraction has apologised after the personal data of visitors and employees was stolen in a ransomware attack. The company on Thursday detected irregularities in its internal network system and alerted police and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data. “Subsequent investigation confirmed that…
A man in Hong Kong has been arrested for allegedly exposing an industry peer’s identity card information and signature across trade chat groups without the victim’s consent. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) said on Thursday that a 46-year-old man had been arrested in the New Territories on suspicion of doxxing….
LONDON (AP) — Harrods, the luxury British department store, has warned some customers that their personal data may have been taken in a breach of its online systems. The company said late Friday that some names and contact details of its online customers were taken after one of its third-party provider systems was compromised. “We…
Smartphone users generate vast amounts of personal data every day, and much of it is being collected, shared, and sold through apps that seem harmless at first glance. From social media platforms to weather services and casual games, experts warn that many apps go far beyond what’s necessary to function. Apps are now collecting more…