Man, 24, arrested for doxxing cop and his family members

A 24-year-old man was arrested in Kowloon on Thursday for allegedly disclosing the personal information of a male police officer and his family members online. 

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) said the victim is a police officer and he was doxxed by others for he took part in an arrest operation in 2019. 

In July, an online group published a “wanted” person post about the victim on a social media platform, offering a reward for locating the victim. 

The same day, two self-made “wanted” person notices about the victim and his family members, which contained their personal data alongside some fabricated offenses committed by them, were posted in reply to the said post. 

The personal data disclosed included the partial Chinese names of the victim and his two family members as well as their photos. The occupation and the rank of the victim were also shown in one of the photos. 

The arrestee is remanded in custody and the PCPD said they will continue the investigation into the case. 

The PCPD reminds the public that uploading or reposting doxxing messages, responding to some online calls for doxxing, and disclosing the personal data of data subjects without their consents, may also constitute a doxxing offense. 

Offenders could face a HK$1 million fine and five years’ imprisonments.