The Sai Kung District Office (SKDO) today reported that a contractor involved in delivering a youth training event has forfeited data relating to 50 event participants and that the incident has been reported to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data and to Police.

The event, organised by the SKDO, is the 2023-24 Sai Kung Youth Ambassador Training Programme - Sai Kung Navigators, while the contractor is the Sai Kung District Community Centre.

The centre reported to the SKDO yesterday afternoon that one of its members of staff had lost a portable USB device at a library at City University on September 10. The device contains personal details relating to 50 event participants, specifically their names, ages, genders, contact numbers, email addresses and residential addresses, as well as the schools/institutions they attend and the names and contact numbers of their guardians.

The SKDO was informed that the centre reported the incident to Police on September 12 and to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data on September 18. The SKDO said it was also in the process of contacting participants affected, and their families, to explain the situation and offer apologies.

The training programme itself has been suspended, while a hotline number, 6278 0536, is in operation for enquiries.

The SKDO has issued a severe reprimand to the event contractor and requested it to submit a detailed report and take all necessary measures to prevent further leakage of data.

The contractor is prohibited from bidding for or organising any other SKDO activities until it has taken satisfactory measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring.