PCPD - The Role of the PCPD

Personal Information Collection Statement (PICS)

Personal Data (Privacy) Advisory Committee

About PCPD
The Role of the PCPD

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) is an independent statutory body set up to oversee the enforcement of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) ("the Ordinance") which came into force on 20th December, 1996.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to secure the protection of privacy of the individual with respect to personal data through promotion, monitoring and supervision of compliance with the Ordinance.

Key Goals

We aim to ensure that:

individuals are aware of their rights as data subjects under the Ordinance and how to exercise them;
public and private sector organizations are aware of their obligations as data users under the Ordinance and how to meet them;
individuals and public/private sector organizations are aware of the role of the PCPD and how we can assist them;
enquiries are responded to courteously and efficiently to the satisfaction of the enquirer;
complaints are investigated and resolved efficiently in a manner that is fair to all parties concerned;
all other functions of the PCPD are carried out cost-effectively and efficiently; and
all other jurisdictions with data protection laws are aware of the robustness of our law protecting the privacy of the individual with respect to personal data so as to obviate any interference in the free flow of personal data to Hong Kong.

Duties of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data

(i)	Oversee the administration and supervision of the PCPD;
(ii)	Formulate operational policies and procedures to implement the provisions of the Ordinance;
(iii)	Monitor and supervise compliance with the provisions of the Ordinance;
(iv)	Exercise powers to approve and issue codes of practice providing practical guidance for compliance with the provisions of the Ordinance;
(v)	Promote awareness and understanding of, and compliance with, the provisions of the Ordinance;
(vi)	Examine any proposed legislation (including subsidiary legislation) that the Commissioner considers may affect the privacy of individuals in relation to personal data and report the results of the examination to the persons proposing the legislation;
(vii)	Carry out inspections of personal data systems including those of Government departments and statutory corporations;
(viii)	Investigate, upon receipt of complaints from data subjects or on his own initiative, suspected breaches of requirements of the Ordinance;
(ix)	Undertake research into, and monitor developments in, the processing of data and computer technology that may have adverse effects on the privacy of individuals in relation to personal data;
(x)	Liaise and cooperate with persons performing similar data protection functions in any place outside Hong Kong in respect of matters of mutual interest concerning the privacy of individuals in relation to personal data.