Hong Kong Social Welfare Department apologises for leaking names of 1,300 subsidy applicants online
Hong Kong Free Press
Hong Kong’s Social Welfare Department (SWD) has apologised for disclosing the names of around 1,300 people who applied for a disability subsidy scheme. The staff member responsible for the online leak had been fired, the department has said.
The SWD on Tuesday expressed “sincere apologies” after a contract employee breached departmental guidelines on handling personal data. The employee was said to have improperly copied the English names of around 1,300 applicants for the Special Care Subsidy Scheme for Persons with Severe Disabilities to the internet, the department said.
According to a government statement, the department reported the incident to privacy watchdog the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) and had contacted the individuals affected.
The PCPD said on Tuesday that the leak had been reported last Thursday, and a compliance check had been launched, but it was yet to receive any complaints or enquiries relating to the SWD data leak.
The data leak only concerned the applicants’ English names, while other personal particulars, such as identity card numbers, dates of birth or contact information, was not divulged, the SWD wrote in its statement.
“The SWD attaches great importance to safeguarding personal privacy. The service contract of the staff member concerned has been terminated,” the statement read.
The department called on the applicants affected to be cautious of any fraudulent acts and said it had reminded staff members to exercise due care when handling the personal data of members of the public.
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