Hong Kong privacy watchdog launches criminal probe into AI-generated porn scandal at HKU
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) 'has launched a criminal investigation into the incident and has no further comment at this stage,' the watchdog said in a statement on Tuesday.
The statement was released days after a male law student at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) was accused of creating pornographic images of around 20 to 30 women, including his classmates and teachers, without their consent.
The student allegedly used photos he found on the women's social media accounts to generate pornographic 'deepfake' images using free online artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
Citing the city's privacy laws, the Tuesday statement said that it is illegal to disclose a person's personal data without their consent, causing harm to the subject or their family members.
A disclosure of personal data without consent, with an intent to cause 'specified harm,' or if the offender was reckless as to whether any harm would, or would likely be caused, also constitutes an offence.
The announcement was also made just hours after Chief Executive John Lee said that most local laws applied to online behaviours, including offences under the Crimes Ordinance and the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance.
The chief executive did not mention any proposal for legislation regarding AI but urged Hong Kong universities to handle student misconduct 'seriously.'
'While some misconduct may be dealt with under internal university rules, any act that may contravene the law should be reported to law enforcement agencies for action,' he said.
HKU said in a statement on Saturday that the university had issued a warning letter to the student and demanded that he formally apologise to the women.
The incident was not handled by the university's Disciplinary Committee, after HKU told three anonymous victims that the male student likely did not commit an offence that could be addressed by the committee.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
7 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
2 arrested in Hong Kong over laundering HK$1.15 billion in case involving stablecoins
Hong Kong customs officers have arrested two men who allegedly smuggled cash out of the city and made suspicious transactions, including with stablecoins, to launder HK$1.15 billion (US$146.5 million). A Customs and Excise Department spokesman said on Tuesday that an investigation into the pair found they had repeatedly smuggled cash out of the city. The suspects also made transactions using stablecoins and regular currency, with officers finding the source of funds to be questionable. The activities of the pair, a 37-year-old local and a 50-year-old non-local, were inconsistent with their background and financial status, the spokesman added. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies that are pegged to a reference asset, typically a fiat currency such as the US dollar. Customs officers raided four residential premises and two companies on Tuesday morning, seizing items believed to be linked to the case, including mobile phones, tablets, and bank cards. The two suspects, who identified themselves as self-employed and unemployed, were arrested on suspicion of money laundering under the Organised and Serious Crimes Ordinance.
South China Morning Post
7 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
2 arrested in Hong Kong over money-laundering case involving stablecoins
Hong Kong customs officers have arrested two men on suspicion of laundering HK$1.15 billion (US$146.5 million) by smuggling cash and trading virtual assets, including stablecoins. A Customs and Excise Department spokesman said on Tuesday that an investigation into the pair found they had repeatedly smuggled cash out of the city. The suspects also made transactions using stablecoins and regular currency, with officers finding the source of funds to be questionable. The activities of the pair, a 37-year-old local and a 50-year-old non-local, were inconsistent with their background and financial status, the spokesman added. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies that are pegged to a reference asset, typically a fiat currency such as the US dollar. Customs officers raided four residential premises and two companies on Tuesday morning, seizing items believed to be linked to the case, including mobile phones, tablets, and bank cards. The two suspects, who identified themselves as self-employed and unemployed, were arrested on suspicion of money laundering under the Organised and Serious Crimes Ordinance.
HKFP
12 hours ago
- HKFP
Hongkong Post's online shipping portal hacked, potentially exposing users' personal data
Hongkong Post has said that a cyberattack on its online shipping portal may have exposed the personal data of senders and recipients. In a statement issued late on Monday evening, the city's postal service said that it had identified the incident involving its EC-Ship account holders. 'Based on preliminary assessment, the incident could involve the information on the address books of EC-Ship account holders, including senders' and recipients' names, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers and email addresses,' the statement said. The EC-Ship service allows customers to prepare shipping labels and pay estimated postage online. Hongkong Post said it took 'immediate measures' to block the breached access and reported the case to the police, the Digital Policy Office (DPO), the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD), and the Security Bureau on Monday. 'Investigation is still underway to ascertain the number of account holders affected and whether any personal data leakage is involved,' the statement also said. 'Hongkong Post will inform affected account holders as soon as possible when further updates are available.' A total of 7,249 registered customer email addresses were exposed when Hongkong Post experienced a data security breach in 2023. The PCPD, Hong Kong's privacy watchdog, said in November that 70 per cent of Hong Kong companies had experienced some form of cyberattack in the past year. In March, Hong Kong lawmakers passed a law meant to enhance safeguards for the city's key infrastructure systems against cyberattacks, imposing fines of up to HK$5 million for cybersecurity lapses. The law, however, excludes government departments, including Hongkong Post. The Fire Services Department, the Registration & Electoral Office, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, Cyberport, the Consumer Council and the Companies Registry are among the governmental and statutory bodies that have recently suffered data leaks.
