Hong Kong to launch pilot programme for data sharing with mainland China this year

Hong Kong plans to launch a pilot programme this year for the cross-border transfer of data, covering such areas as health and banking, as the city seeks to become an innovation and technology hub.

Officials on Friday said data transferred from mainland China to Hong Kong would adhere to the requirements of both jurisdictions.

The pilot programme would focus on commonly used data, such as personal health records, banking details and businesses’ customer information.

“We hope we can facilitate the movement of these types of data conveniently in the Greater Bay Area in compliance with the country’s legal requirement for data export,” he said. “We will try to strive for a pilot programme within this year.”

The bay area refers to Beijing’s plan to unite Hong Kong, Macau and nine cities in Guangdong into an economic powerhouse by 2035.

Hong Kong, mainland to create plan ‘within months’ for bay area data transfer deal

The government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Cyberspace Administration of China on facilitating cross-boundary data flows in June, enabling the bureau and the Office of Chief Information Officer to explore the best way forward.

Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Eddie Mak Tak-wa stressed the measure raised in the policy address was aimed at making it easier for companies to comply with the mainland’s existing rules for exporting data.

He noted the programme would not be any different to the current regulations implemented by the mainland, with local laws applying to the data once it reached Hong Kong.

“In the whole coordination process, we have kept close contact with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data to ensure all future measures will comply with all existing ones protecting personal data,” he said.

Foreign businesses in Hong Kong welcome multi-entry visa for mainland China

Beijing has tightened controls on the transfer of cross-border data in recent years, introducing the Data Security Law and the Personal Information Protection Law, which impose tough penalties for unauthorised collection, processing, storage and use of data generated in the country.

Hong Kong’s data is regulated by the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance and the Guidance on Personal Data Protection in Cross-border Data Transfer, which prohibit the transfer of personal information to places outside the city, except in certain circumstances.