The DataHK is a free resource offering access to over one million open data from international, European, national, regional and local sources. It serves as an important information resource for researchers, policymakers and businesses looking for accurate statistics, indicators and forecasts in numerous topics – with tools designed specifically to help users analyse and visualize it all! Data HK serves its community members well by understanding and improving lives in Hong Kong.
At the heart of Big Data lies its central challenge – turning vast amounts of raw data into meaningful and actionable insights for businesses with limited in-house resources. To meet this need, numerous software and service providers offer solutions that enable organizations to manage, store and analyze big data effectively; such services provide increased productivity, enhanced data governance and reduced risks.
As Hong Kong continues its globalisation process, there is greater potential for the exchange of personal data with overseas markets. Therefore, it has never been more important to ensure that data is used only for legitimate purposes and protected from misuse and loss – thus the PDPO contains provisions designed to safeguard integrity and security of personal information, while mandating specific obligations on users of personal information.
Who qualifies as a data user under the Personal Data Protection Ordinance depends on its operations relating to collecting, holding, processing and using personal data in Hong Kong – this may include processing by contractors located outside Hong Kong as part of their contractual duties – although no explicit provision of extraterritorial application exists within PDPO itself.
There are an increasing number of circumstances when Hong Kong businesses must perform or contribute to transfer impact assessments, most often when importing personal data from the European Economic Area. When such occasions arise, PCPD has published recommended model clauses which should be included in contracts dealing with data transfer.
The PCPD’s approach to cross-border data transfers is in line with that taken by other international regulators and will evolve as the PDPO matures, as well as with global trends toward greater transparency and increased accountability of cross-border data flows.
With Hong Kong and mainland China integrating more tightly under the “one country, two systems” principle, data transfer between jurisdictions will likely increase and so too does the need for an efficient legal framework to support data flow between jurisdictions. PCPD remains committed to working closely with Chinese authorities on this matter as developments take place on mainland China.
