Police injunction 'won't work, will add to mistrust'

Kwok Ka-ki says most so-called 'doxxing' takes place on websites based overseas. Photo: RTHK

Civic Party lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki has warned that the government is in danger of further increasing tensions between the public and the police with an injunction preventing the publication of officers' personal details.



Kwok said the interim injunction, granted to the Justice Department on Friday, won't succeed in its goal of preventing so-called "doxxing" attacks because most of the private information that has been released about officers and their families is displayed on overseas websites.



"If you look into the internet, [there are] still many platforms based in other countries that are still leaking the so-called personal information of the police and their relatives," Kwok said on Satuday. "So it proves that this kind of injunction doesn't work.



"It will only add to the public mistrust to the government because they are thinking 'oh, the government is not listening or responding to the public, but they are doing a lot of things to protect the policemen or their families'. It only makes us more opposed to the government or to the police."



Kwok also said that releasing people's personal information without their consent was already a crime. Seeking an injunction would give the impression that the legislation was insufficient and that police officers and their families were being given special treatment.



He said the political unrest of recent months could only be settled by the government acting on the five demands of the protest movement, in particular an independent inquiry into policing.



The High Court injunction will be in force until November 8, with another hearing expected to decide on any extension.



It covers information including the names, job titles, addresses, car registration plates and ID numbers of officers and their families, as well as social media accounts and photographs.



The ban on photographs in particular has led to criticism that the injunction will harm press freedom and make it harder to document cases of police misconduct.