Bring Home the Data? New Hong Kong Data Privacy Guidelines for BYOD Policies

Bloomberg BNA’s World Data Protection Report has published Gabriela Kennedy’s article on the new Information Leaflet issued by the Hong Kong Privacy Commissioner, which highlights the personal data privacy risks that employers need to address when developing a Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) practice. The Information Leaflet aims to help companies continue to comply with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) (PDPO) as BYOD practices become increasingly widespread across all industries. Gabriela addresses the balance that must be achieved between protecting the personal data collected by a company and respecting the privacy of their employees’ own personal data, and recommends that companies implement a BYOD policy, carry out a detailed risk assessment, as well as regular reviews of their internal policies and security measures, to avoid vulnerabilities that could result in cyberattacks or accidental loss or disclosure by employees.