The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) has initiated a criminal investigation into a male law student at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), who has been accused of exploiting artificial intelligence to create unauthorized explicit images.
The student reportedly generated over 700 explicit photos from social media images without consent, impacting more than 20 individuals, including friends, classmates, and teachers.
In response to media inquiries, the privacy watchdog confirmed that a criminal investigation is underway and declined to provide further comments at this stage.
The PCPD has urged anyone who suspects their personal data privacy has been violated to contact the office for inquiries or complaints.
According to Sections 64(3A) and 64(3C) of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, disclosing another person's personal data without relevant consent, with the intent or recklessness to cause harm to that individual or their family, constitutes a criminal act.
The PCPD stressed that anyone collecting, holding, processing, or using personal data in Hong Kong must comply with the Privacy Ordinance and adhere to its six data protection principles.
Notably, under Principle 3, using personal data for purposes unrelated to the original intent of collection is prohibited unless the data subject provides voluntary consent.
(Phoebe Poon)
Read more:
HKU Law dean condemns male student over AI-generated explicit images
HKU faces criticism over lenient punishment for student who generated indecent AI images
