HK man jailed for ‘doxxing’ police during protests

HONG KONG: A former Hong Kong telecoms worker was jailed Tuesday for publishing personal details of police officers and their families during the huge prodemocracy protests last year, the first such conviction linked to political unrest.

Chan King-hei, 33, was sentenced to two years in jail after being convicted last month of unlawfully obtaining and disclosing personal data stored on computers at his former employer, Hong Kong Telecom.

Publishing personal details online – known as doxxing – became a common tactic used by both sides of Hong Kong’s political divide during last year’s protests.

Police became a key target for protesters as clashes raged – especially after officers stopped wearing identification badges – while government loyalists have also doxxed Beijing’s critics.

During their investigation police discovered personal information, including ID card and telephone numbers as well as residential addresses of officers and their families on Chan’s mobile phone.

They also found he had downloaded files from his company’s computers. Some of the personal details were then shared on a Telegram channel dedicated to exposing the personal details of police officers and pro-government figures, the court said.

Hong Kong was convulsed by seven straight months of protests last year calling for greater democratic freedoms and police accountability.

Backed by Beijing, authorities refused concessions and more than 10,000 people were arrested. — AFP