Chung said that Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) has been paying close attention to doxxing activities on online platforms, but did not reveal what regulations would be imposed on individual platforms, explaining that she was not at liberty to do so.

It remains unclear as to how the privacy watchdog plans to implement these restrictions.

Chung also pointed out that revisions to the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance have given the PCPD the right to request platforms to remove messages or channels involved in alleged doxxing efforts.

The Hong Kong police could invoke similar regulations by way of the national security law. According to a statement regarding the blockage of the HKChronicles website last year, the police “could require service providers to take restrictive actions against messages posted on digital platforms, which likely constitute the offense of endangering national security”.