Woman handed suspended jail term for doxxing pet seller over sick kitten

A 27-year-old woman was sentenced to two weeks’ imprisonment suspended for three years and fined HK$500 after she pleaded guilty to doxxing a pet seller over a refund argument in May last year. 

Appearing at West Kowloon Court on Thursday, the defendant Chan Tung-ching pleaded guilty to one charge of disclosing personal data without the data subject’s consent. 

The court heard that Chan purchased three kittens from the victim in late 2022 and she subsequently requested a refund from the victim because of the health issues of one of the kittens. 

The two could not agree on an amount for the refund and a dispute arose between them. During May last year, Chan then posted a message containing the personal data of the victim in an open discussion group on a social media platform, alongside some negative comments and allegations against the victim. 

The personal data disclosed included the victim’s Chinese name, photo, parts of her mobile phone numbers and former area of residence. 

Chan was arrested by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data on November 16 last year and the Office initiated prosecution against Chan on January 25 after seeking legal advice from the Department of Justice. 

Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data Ada Chung Lai-ling welcomed the court’s ruling and reminded the public to resolve their disputes by lawful means. 

“Doxxing is not an option as it would only escalate conflict. Moreover, doxxing is a serious offense and the offender is liable on conviction to immediate imprisonment,” Chung said.