Protecting Personal Information on the Companies Register
A new inspection regime is being implemented under the Hong Kong Companies Ordinance. This will provide additional safeguards relating to the personal data of directors and other relevant individuals who appear on the Companies Registry (CR). The full inspection regime is being implemented in three phases:
| Phase 1 | Starting from 23 August 2021, companies may replace the usual residential addresses (URA) of directors with their correspondence addresses, and replace the full identification numbers (IDN) of directors and company secretaries with their partial IDNs on their own registers for public inspection. |
| Phase 2 | From 24 October 2022 onwards, CR will withhold from public inspection the URA and full IDN of directors, company secretaries and liquidators, etc, which are contained in all the documents filed for registration. |
| Phase 3 | Starting from 27 December 2023, the individuals concerned may apply to the CR for withholding their respective URA and full IDN contained in the documents already registered with the CR prior to 24 October 2022 from public inspection. |
In recent years, there have been rising concerns over whether personal data contained in public registers are adequately safeguarded, especially in light of increased reported cases of doxing and personal data misuse. To tackle this problem, the new inspection regime has struck a balance between public access to the necessary information to ascertain the identities of companies’ officers and protecting data privacy.
As a leading provider of corporate services, Tricor offers a range of solutions to help directors and company secretaries of companies listed in Hong Kong and companies registered in Hong Kong to protect their personal information, including the submission of application to the CR for masking out of personal information and provide a correspondence address.
Tricor understands the importance of data privacy and is committed to delivering customized solutions that meet the unique needs of our clients. Our services are designed to be accurate and efficient, ensuring that our clients' personal data is well-protected and secure.
By partnering with Tricor, clients can focus on their business objectives, knowing that their privacy needs are in good hands.