Privacy Policy

C&SD is committed to ensuring that all personal data are handled in accordance with the provisions of the PDPO and undertakes to -

1. collect adequate, but not excessive, personal data by lawful and fair means only for lawful purposes related to C&SD’s functions or activities;
2. take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure that the personal data collected or retained are accurate, having regard to the purposes for which they are to be used;
3. use the personal data collected only for purposes or directly related purposes for which the data were to be used at the time of collection, unless the data subject concerned has given consent for a change of use or such use is permitted by law;
4. take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure that personal data are protected against unauthorised or accidental access, processing, erasure or other use;
5. take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure that a person can be informed of the kinds of personal data that C&SD holds and the main purposes for which the data are to be used;
6. permit persons to access and to correct personal data of which they are the data subject and to process such access/correction requests in a manner permitted or required by law; and
7. erase personal data which are no longer necessary for the fulfillment of the purposes for which they are to be used.

The Deputy Commissioner is designated as the Data Controlling Officer (DCO), who is responsible for overseeing, assessing, authorising, monitoring and reviewing personal data protection measures to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (“PDPO”) within C&SD. Any decision to refuse to comply with a data access or correction request should be subject to the authorisation of DCO.

Deputy Departmental Secretary (Personnel) is designated as the Data Protection Officer (Employment-related) to assist DCO in the overall management of employment-related personal data. He/She is responsible for overseeing the collection, handling, use, storage, transmission and security of employment-related personal data, ensuring compliance with the requirements of the PDPO in relation to such data; monitoring the handling of data access and correction requests in relation to such data and maintaining a record of these requests; keeping log of any refusal to comply with such requests; and dealing with the relevant complaints.

Statistician (Data Collection Systems) is designated as the Data Protection Officer (Non-employment-related) to assist DCO in the overall management of non-employment-related personal data. He/She is responsible for overseeing the application of C&SD’s personal data protection measures to the collection, handling, use and disclosure of non-employment-related personal data and for ensuring that access and correction requests in relation to such data are processed in accordance with the requirements of the PDPO and maintaining a record of these requests. He/She is also required to keep log of any refusal to comply with such requests; and dealing with the relevant complaints.

Three broad categories of personal data are held by C&SD. They are personal data contained in:

1. Survey records which include records containing information related to the socioeconomic and other data of an individual collected in statistical surveys;
2. Personnel records which include the records of personal and family particulars, education and qualifications, employment history, appointment and promotion, appraisal reports, training records, conduct and discipline, medical records, salary and allowances, retirement and pension, etc. of serving officers and former employees. Recruitment and appointment data on job applicants are also held; and
3. Other records which include the records of persons who make contacts, enquiries, complaints or registrations to C&SD, information of purchasers or subscribers of the statistical products or services of C&SD, government administrative records extracted to C&SD for statistics compilation, and personal particulars of personnel employed by bidders, contractors and suppliers, etc.

Personal data held in:

1. Survey records are kept for the purposes of collecting data and compiling statistics;
2. Personnel records are kept for recruitment and human resources management purposes, relating to such matters as appointment, termination, performance management, promotion, discipline, payroll and other related accounting matters of employees, etc.; and
3. Other records are kept for various purposes which vary according to the nature of the records, such as handling enquiries or complaints, dealing with provision of statistical products or services of C&SD, compiling statistics, and facilitating procurement matters and execution of contracts.

For different purposes and at different times you may be invited to provide personal data to C&SD through this website on a voluntary basis. Personal information may include name, telephone number or e-mail address. C&SD 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 correction of the personal data provided. You should always be cautious when deciding whether to include personal or sensitive information you intend to provide.

Unless permitted or required by law, C&SD will not disclose your personal data to any third parties without your prior consent.

C&SD uses industry standard protocol to encrypt data during network transmission to protect your personal data. All personal data you provide us via this website is protected and access to them is restricted to authorised personnel only.

C&SD will record data about visits to this website without collecting any personal identifiable information of users through cookies and Google Analytics.

A cookie is a small amount of data created in a computer on which a website is visited. It often includes an anonymous unique identifier which does not identify an individual user of the website. Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc., uses cookies to collect anonymous information on how users use this website. For more information about Google Analytics, please click here.

The purposes of using cookies and Google Analytics are to collect statistics about the visits of users to this website and to analyse the usage of this website by users.

You may choose to accept or reject cookies by changing browser settings. If you reject the cookies, you may not be able to use some of the functions of this website, such as the “Visited Products” function. Also, you may opt-out from providing information to Google Analytics by installing the 'Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on'.

When you visit this website, C&SD will record your visit counts. The web server makes a record of your visit that includes your IP address (and domain name), the type and configuration of browser, language setting, operating system, previous webpage visited, time, the pages visited, query of search, and session identifier. The record of your visit does not include any personal identifiable information.

C&SD uses the anonymous information collected for the purpose of maintaining and improving this website.

C&SD does not use, and has no intention to use the anonymous information collected to personally identify anyone.

Search service on this website is provided by an independent contractor outside 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 C&SD for compiling traffic analysis on this website. C&SD will not match the data obtained from any such search activity with any personal data possibly held by C&SD.

Information C&SD collects about you through this website will only be used for compiling aggregate statistics and for processing your requests and will not be disclosed to parties who are not involved in the respective processes.

C&SD only retains personal data as long as it is necessary. We do not offer online facilities for you to delete personal data held by us.

Under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, you have a right to request access to and correction of information about you held by us. You may seek access to or correction of the information by submitting the Personal Data Access Request Form to the Data Protection Officer.

C&SD maintains and executes retention policies of records containing personal data to ensure personal data is not kept longer than is necessary for the fulfilment of the 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. Different retention periods apply to the various kinds of personal data collected and held by C&SD in accordance with policies in standing instructions and administration manuals.

Requests for access to or correction of personal data held by C&SD may be made by the PDPO Data Access Request Form (OPS003) to:

1. For employment-related personal data
   Data Protection Officer (Employment-related)

   Census and Statistics Department
   21/F, Wanchai Tower
   12 Harbour Road
   Wan Chai
   Hong Kong

   
   

   For non-employment-related personal data
   Data Protection Officer (Non-employment-related)

   Census and Statistics Department
   16/F, Wanchai Tower
   12 Harbour Road
   Wan Chai
   Hong Kong

   
   

A charge will be made to cover the cost of photocopying personal data supplied in response to a data access request at the rate of A4 size paper at $1.5 per copy and A3 size paper at $1.6 per copy on documents provided in black and white. This standard fee is to apply unless otherwise provided by enactment or approved by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury.

Enquiries regarding personal data privacy policy and practice can be addressed to the Data Protection Officer via:

1. For employment-related personal data
   Mail:

   Census and Statistics Department
   21/F, Wanchai Tower
   12 Harbour Road
   Wan Chai
   Hong Kong
   Tel:

   2582 3038
   Email:

   recruitment@censtatd.gov.hk
2. 
   For non-employment-related personal data
   Mail:

   Census and Statistics Department
   16/F, Wanchai Tower
   12 Harbour Road
   Wan Chai
   Hong Kong
   Tel:

   2582 4731
   Email:

   dcs@censtatd.gov.hk