Hong Kong privacy complaints surge 62% as AI era fuels data trade

Hong Kong's Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Ada Chung Lai-ling, issued a stark warning on Saturday after the city recorded a 62% year-on-year surge in privacy complaints during the first half of 2026. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data received 2,990 complaints, with the IT sector accounting for the largest share at 867 cases. Chung attributed the spike directly to the artificial intelligence era, where personal data can be collected, processed, and exploited rapidly and at scale, creating new avenues for online disputes and misuse.

Speaking on a radio program, Chung emphasized that personal data has become a highly tradeable commodity in the age of technology. She urged Hongkongers to exercise extreme caution when sharing details online, particularly during e-commerce transactions and loyalty program registrations. The commissioner also noted improved public awareness, meaning more residents are reporting violations. With AI tools enabling sophisticated data mining and profiling, the watchdog's call highlights a growing global concern: the need for stronger privacy safeguards as machine learning models increasingly depend on massive datasets.