Personal Data Policy
Statement of policy
The protection of privacy in relation to personal data is the concern of every member of staff in the Registration and Electoral Office (“REO”). We respect personal data and are committed to fully complying with the six data protection principles and all relevant provisions of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) (“the Ordinance”). The REO’s personal data policy and practices are summarised as follows –
| (a) | personal data should be collected by lawful and fair means and can only be used for a lawful purpose directly related to a function and activity of the Department and to that purpose for which it was collected; |
| (b) | the data so collected should be necessary, adequate but not excessive in relation to that purpose; |
| (c) | on or before any information is collected, the data subject should be informed of the purpose for which the data is to be used and the classes of persons to whom the data may be transferred; |
| (d) | unless prior and prescribed consent has been obtained from the data subject, the personal data should only be used, disclosed or transferred for the purpose or any directly related purpose for which it was collected or where it is allowed under the Ordinance; |
| (e) | on or before any information is collected, the data subject should be informed of his/her rights to request access to and correction of the personal data; |
| (f) | all reasonably practicable steps should be taken to ensure that personal data collected or retained is accurate for the purpose for which the personal data is or is to be used; |
| (g) | personal data should not be kept longer than is necessary for the fulfillment of the purpose (including any directly related purpose) for which the data is or is to be used, unless the retention is governed by legislation or it is in the public interest not to erase the data; |
| (h) | all reasonably practicable steps should be taken to ensure that personal data held is protected against unauthorised or accidental access, processing, erasure, loss or other use; and |
| (i) | disposal of any unwanted records should be handled with care to ensure that there will not be any unauthorised/accidental leakage or access to the data. |
Statement of practice
Kinds of Personal Data Held
Three broad categories of personal data are held in the REO. They are personal data contained in –
Employment-related and personnel records: including job applications and personnel data of REO staff such as personal and family particulars, employment terms, payroll, employment benefits, leave, training and medical records, enrolment of provident fund schemes, performance appraisals, disciplinary records, etc.;
Administrative and operational records: including personal data collected in connection with voter registration, public engagement and consultation activities, appointment to advisory committee, election and related activities, quotation and tender exercises, payment records, etc.; and
Enquiry and complaint records: including records containing information supplied by parties concerned and collected in connection with the handling of enquiries and complaints and related activities.
Main Purposes of Keeping Personal Data
Personal data held in –
Employment-related and personnel records are kept for recruitment and human resource management purposes;
Administrative and operational records are kept for various purposes which vary according to the nature of the records, such as handling of voter registration matters when preparing the registers, selection of suitable candidates for appointment to advisory committee, dealing with the appointment and deployment of electoral staff, procurement of goods and services, effecting payments etc.; and
Enquiry and complaint records are kept for the purposes of processing individual cases, communicating with the enquirers or complainants and taking necessary follow-up actions as appropriate.
Information Collected When You Visit Our Website
The REO will record visits to this website without collecting any personal identifiable information of users. Such general information is only collected for the compilation of statistical reports and the diagnosis of problems with concerning computer systems to help improving this website.
For different purposes and at different times you may be invited to provide personal data to the REO through this website on a voluntary basis. Personal information may include name, telephone number, mailing address or e-mail address. The REO will specify the collection purpose and intended usage of your data when it invites you to provide such information and advise you how you may request access to or make correction of the personal data provided.
The information provided by you may be disclosed to other Government bureau and departments for the purpose mentioned above. Unless permitted or required by law, the REO will not disclose your personal data to any third parties without your prior consent.
Access to all personal data collected via this website is restricted to authorised personnel only.
Search service on this website is provided by an independent contractor of the Government. We are advised by the independent contractor that it does not collect personal identifiable information while serving search results through this website. The independent contractor will share the anonymous data it collects through the search service with the Government for compiling traffic analysis on government websites. The Government will not match the data obtained from any such search activity with any personal data possibly held by the Government.
Access to/Correction of Personal Data
Requests for access to or correction of personal data held by the Department should be made by online application; or sending the completed Data Access Request Form (OPS003) (http://www.pcpd.org.hk/english/publications/files/Dforme.pdf) to our Personal Data Privacy Officer by fax at 2827 4644, by email to reoenq@reo.gov.hk, or by post to the following address –
Registration and Electoral Office
8/F, Treasury Building
3 Tonkin Street West
Cheung Sha Wan
Kowloon
A fee is chargeable by the REO for complying with a data access request.
Enquiries
Any enquiries regarding our personal data policy and practices may be addressed to our Personal Data Controlling Officer via the above fax number, email address or correspondence address.