Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Following is a question by the Hon Stanley Ng and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, in the Legislative Council today (June 3):
 
Question:
 
     There are views suggesting that in order to respond proactively to population ageing, the Government should make reference to the approach set out in our country’s Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan on promoting elderly-friendly home modifications and undertake elderly-friendly modifications for the units of elderly persons in need. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of cases where the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) undertook modification or adaptation works in public rental housing (PRH) units at the request of elderly households in each of the past three years, with a breakdown by (i) the actual types of works and (ii) family conditions of households (e.g. singleton elderly households, doubleton elderly households, households with “elderly members taking care of members with disabilities” and households with “members with disabilities taking care of elderly members”);
 
(2) of the eligibility criteria that elderly households are required to meet before the HA approves modification or adaptation works in their PRH units; whether the HA has drawn up any order of priority for the relevant works (e.g. on a first-come, first-served basis or according to the risk-‍based principle);
 
(3) whether the HA has proactively approached elderly PRH households to ascertain their latest living needs and taken the initiative to undertake modification or adaptation works for their units;
 
(4) of the elderly-friendly modifications undertaken by the HA in the past three years in areas outside the units of elderly households in various PRH estates (e.g. ‍the corridors outside their units, lift lobbies and letter boxes), with a breakdown by PRH estate;
 
(5) whether the HA will undertake elderly-friendly modifications in the future for the units of elderly households before they move in; and
 
(6) whether subsidies have been offered to elderly households living in Home Ownership Scheme units or private properties as assistance for undertaking elderly-friendly modifications in their units; if not, whether the Government will make use of the Building Maintenance Grant Scheme for Needy Owners or the subsidy schemes under the Community Care Fund, or introduce a dedicated subsidy scheme to offer subsidies to such elderly households for undertaking elderly-‍friendly modifications in their units; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:
 
President,
 
     The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) has always upheld the core values of “Caring” and keeps abreast of the times to actively explore measures to support the elderly and create a liveable as well as inclusive living environment that fosters a greater sense of belonging among residents. In line with the Government’s “Ageing in Place” policy, the Housing Bureau and the HA launched the “Well-being design” Guide in September 2024. The Guide, which covers eight well-being design concepts, serves as a reference and design framework for new public housing projects and improvement works for existing Public Rental Housing (PRH) estates. The HA has progressively applied the concepts in the “Well-being design” Guide to public housing projects currently under construction, and will incorporate suitable designs into the improvement works of existing PRH estates based on actual circumstances, thereby creating an age-friendly environment for elderly residents.
 
     With regard to private buildings, in order to establish an elderly-friendly built environment, the Task Force on Promoting Elderly-friendly Building Design, led by the Deputy Financial Secretary, announced 28 encouraged features and 16 mandatory requirements in July last year. The encouraged features, which include encouraging the adoption of designs that facilitate future aging-in-place in private residential buildings, have been implemented since the middle of last year. The subsidiary legislation for implementing the mandatory requirements, such as requiring at least one of the main entrances of a residential building to be provided with an automatic door, has been submitted to the Legislative Council for scrutiny, with a view to taking effect in August this year.
 
     In response to the question raised by the Hon Stanley Ng, having consulted the Labour and Welfare Bureau, the Development Bureau and the Health Bureau, our reply is as follows:

(1) During the period from 2023 to 2025, the HA completed approximately 15 000 adaptation or modification works for elderly households in need. Common works items included the installation of handrails, provision of ramps, modification of folding doors in bathrooms, and the re-laying of waterproofing layers and non-slip floor tiles. Among the households which received the aforementioned adaptation or modification works, singleton elderly households amounted to around 4 500, while the numbers of doubleton elderly households and elderly households with persons with disabilities accounted for around 3 000 and 130 respectively. The adaptation or modification works were carried out according to the needs of the elderly households, and each household could be arranged with more than one works item.

(2) to (3) The HA’s frontline estate management staff have always proactively reached out to and cared for elderly residents. Through daily management and proactive home visits, the staff identify the living needs of elderly residents and take the initiative to introduce relevant adaptation or modification works. Upon receiving such requests from residents, the HA will make immediate arrangements. In addition, the Department of Health’s Elderly Health Services, through the Community Carer Capacity Building Programme, collaborates with social welfare organisations, District Elderly Community Centres, and Neighbourhood Elderly Centres to train volunteers to identify elderly residents at high risk of falls, assess home environmental risk factors, and offer recommendations on environmental modifications during their regular home visits. Where appropriate, relevant cases will be referred to the Housing Department (HD). If eligible households, which include elderly people aged 60 or above and persons with disabilities, require simple adaptations such as installation of grab rails in bathrooms, conversion to a shower cubicle, or replacement of taps with level-type faucets, they can simply notify their respective estate offices to have the relevant works arranged free of charge. As for relatively complex modification works, such as installing ramps at the flat entrance or widening the bathroom doorway, on the recommendations from doctors, physiotherapists or other professionals, the HA will carry out such works free of charge subject to technical feasibility, with a view to ensuring that the specific needs of individual elderly residents are well catered to.

     Furthermore, in April 2025, the HA selected two PRH estates with higher population of elderly households, namely Wan Hon Estate in Kwun Tong and Sheung Lok Estate in Homantin, to trial the IoT Door Sensor System Installation for Elderly Households. Elderly households who voluntarily participate in the trial are equipped with sensors at their flat entrance to detect the movement of the door.  Designated relatives or friends can hence keep track of the movement of the elderly in and out of their flats. If the door has not been opened during the specified timeframe, the system will send a mobile notification to the designated contact person(s), enabling the provision of timely and appropriate support. Currently, 55 elderly households are participating in the trial. The HD will further extend the trial in 2026 to two other PRH estates with higher population of elderly households, namely Tung Wui Estate in Wong Tai Sin and Tin Yan Estate in Tin Shui Wai, and will review the effectiveness of the trial and formulate the way forward. The HA is also actively exploring collaboration with other social welfare organisations and government departments to take forward more schemes to support the elderly. For example, the HA has engaged the Senior Citizen Home Safety Association to assist them in rolling out the pilot scheme of Smart Accident Detection System and Service. Under this initiative, indoor fall detection sensors were installed in around 200 singleton or doubleton elderly households living in PRH units or Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) flats with an aim of detecting emergencies such as falls or prolonged inactivity. Once triggered, the sensor will automatically connect to the Care-on-Call 24-hour Service Centre, staff of which will verify the situation of the elderly resident via two-way communication. If the elderly resident’s safety cannot be ascertained, the Centre will immediately notify the designated emergency contacts or call the police for assistance where necessary. We will continue to explore various geotechnologies to better address the growing safety needs of elderly PRH residents.

(4) Since 2023, the HA has selected around 10 PRH estates every year to carry out minor estate improvement works and/or façade beautification to optimise public spaces, renovate recreational facilities and improve the estate environment, thereby enhancing residents’ sense of well-being. The concepts of “Age-Friendliness” and “Intergenerational & Inclusive Living” in the “Well-being design” Guide provide concrete design directions for addressing the needs of elderly residents and promoting an age-friendly community.

     In accordance with the “Well-being design”, the HA has carried out a range of age-friendly modifications in the common areas in estates. For example, at Yue Wan Estate in Chai Wan and Ping Shek Estate in Kwun Tong, shelves, handrails, and hooks were installed near mailboxes for the elderly to set down their belongings while collecting mails and for support. Furthermore, additional seating was installed in ground floor lobbies, lift lobbies, and public spaces of Wan Hon Estate in Kwun Tong, with design features incorporated to accommodate walking sticks and shopping bags. The above allows elderly residents to take a rest while waiting for lifts or getting out.

     Furthermore, the HA has created more shared spaces and introduced social seating within estates to foster an inclusive community for people of all ages. For instance, communal fitness playscapes were established at Lee On Estate in Sha Tin and Choi Yuen Estate in Sheung Shui, integrating fitness facilities for the elderly into children play areas and seating areas to cater to the exercise needs of residents of all ages. Also, at Ping Shek Estate in Kwun Tong, the Wellness Corner was set up in the lobby with social seating and community information notice boards installed. At Shek Wai Kok Estate in Tsuen Wan, the ventilation corridor was revitalised into communal space with social seating. The above encourages elderly residents to leave their homes and interact with neighbours of different age groups, thereby promoting intergenerational harmony and mutual support in the neighborhood.

     In addition, HD piloted the use of Smart Access Control System (SACS) at Tung Wui Estate in Wong Tai Sin and Long Shin Estate in Yuen Long in March 2026. Residents can use Octopus cards and “iAM Smart” Personal Code or other smart systems without entering building access codes, thereby further facilitating residents’ access to the premises. Not only does the system spare the elderly from troubles of forgetting or leaking building access codes, but it also enhances security. HD also plans to extend the system to more PRH estates to benefit more residents.

     On the other hand, since lifts cannot be retrofitted on certain floors of some old estates, the HA is piloting the introduction of a new type of “Stair Climbers” to enable residents with mobility impairments and the elderly to use when needed. The HA has arranged suppliers to test the performance of the “Stair Climbers” at Yau Oi Estate in Tuen Mun and Lok Fu Estate in Wong Tai Sin. Subject to the operational effectiveness of the “Stair Climbers” and the specific circumstances of individual estates, the HA will arrange suitable “Stair Climbers” for use in estates.

(5) The HA has widely applied the concepts of “Universal Design” to residential flats and common areas of PRH estates. Barrier-free design standards are also adopted to cater for the needs of the elderly and mobility-impaired residents. In terms of the flat design, relevant facilities include laying non-slip floor tiles in kitchens and bathrooms of flats, adopting lever-type mixers for door handles, water basin and shower taps, and installing larger switches and doorbell buttons at easily accessible heights. Prospective eligible tenants with special needs may apply to the HA for free adaptation or modification works in the PRH units allocated to them. The HA will take into account the advice from doctors, physiotherapists or other professionals to modify the facilities in the unit in a pragmatic manner to meet their actual living needs. Should an applicant request adaptation works before or upon moving in, the HA will process the application as soon as possible so that the tenant may move in early. If necessary, the HA will consider deferring the commencement date of the tenancy agreement until the completion of the adaptation works for eligible tenants subject to the circumstances. In short, where the needs of elderly tenants arise, the HA can arrange appropriate adaptation or modification works prior to their in-take of flats, so as to ensure a safe and suitable living environment for them.

(6) Regarding private properties, the Building Maintenance Grant Scheme for Needy Owners (the Grant Scheme), implemented by the Urban Renewal Authority with a total of $3 billion allocated by the Government over time, mainly provides subsidies for owner-occupiers who are elderly persons in need (i.e. elderly persons aged 60 or above who meet the asset and income limits) to maintain their property units and conduct interior alterations, thereby improving building safety and the living environment. So far, commitments of approximately $1.7 billion has been approved under the Grant Scheme, with over 90 per cent of the applicants being elderly persons aged 60 or above. Each elderly owner-occupier is eligible for a maximum subsidy of $80,000, which can be used for interior alterations to make homes age-friendly, such as installation of slip-resistance floor tiles in bathrooms, grab bars, and shower seats, thereby creating a safer and more comfortable home environment. As the flats sold under HOS are no different from general private properties and are under private ownership, HOS flat owners are also eligible to apply for the abovesaid Grant Scheme. 

     Moreover, frail elderly persons assessed as suitable for receiving residential or community care services may apply to the Social Welfare Department for Home Care Services for Frail Elderly Persons. Alternatively, they may receive subsidised home care services through the “Community Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly”. As for elderly persons assessed to be at the state of mild or higher level of impairment, they may apply for “Home Support Services”. The services of the above-mentioned schemes provide elderly people with home environment risk assessment and modification suggestions.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Chun-ying and a reply by the Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan, in the Legislative Council today (June 3):

Question:

     The Chief Executive stated in the 2025 Policy Address the promotion of intellectual property (IP) trading and the bolstering of IP financing. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) as the Hong Kong Monetary Authority collaborated with the Government to launch an IP financing sandbox at the end of last year to assist pilot sectors in leveraging IPs for financing, of the status of the sandbox experiments to date; whether it has considered further expanding the participating banks and pilot sectors;

(2) as it is learnt that many Mainland enterprises hold substantial IP assets in the biotechnology, electronics and innovation and technology sectors, whether the Government will consider gradually including some Mainland enterprises in the sandbox to lay the foundation for future cross-boundary IP financing; and

(3) as the Government has earmarked $28 million to provide qualitative patent evaluation for innovation and technology enterprises and implement a two-year Pilot Patent Valuation Support Scheme, there are views that banks’ frontline approving officers are most concerned about the liquidity and valuation stability of intangible assets, whether, while assisting innovation and technology enterprises with patent valuation, the Government will formulate a clear recognition framework or guidelines for the above Scheme, so that banks can directly incorporate the relevant evaluation results into the valuation basis for loan collateral?

Reply:

President,

     As the global economy rapidly shifts towards a development model centred on creativity, technology and innovation, intellectual property (IP), as an intangible asset protecting creative and innovative ideas, has become a key driver of business competitiveness and economic growth. The National 14th Five Year Plan expressed support for Hong Kong’s development into a regional IP trading centre. This positioning of Hong Kong has been reaffirmed by the National 15th Five Year Plan.

     The Government has been taking forward a series of targeted new policies and measures in a multi-pronged manner to further improve the local IP trading ecosystem, enhance Hong Kong’s capabilities in IP trading and financing, and consolidate Hong Kong’s position and competitive advantages as a regional IP trading centre.

     Having consulted the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Chan Chun-ying is as follows:

     To help innovation driven enterprises leverage their IP assets to obtain financing so that they can devote more resources to research and development (R&D) and commercialisation, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) and the Intellectual Property Department (IPD), in collaboration with the HKMA, launched the IP Financing Sandbox (Sandbox) in end-December 2025 to assist pilot sectors, particularly the technology sector, in leveraging IPs for financing. Three major banks in Hong Kong and their clients from different sectors, as well as professional services organisations, are participating in the Sandbox. The aim of the Sandbox is to, through small scale pilot projects, provide a collaborative and risk controlled environment for key stakeholders, including banks, enterprises, valuation and legal professionals and other professional bodies, to participate in suitable IP financing projects on a “pioneer and pilot” approach as reference cases for the future. The Sandbox will help unlock a new financing channel, thereby supporting the commercialisation of outcomes of R&D as well as creativity, and promoting innovation and technology (I&T) as a key driver of economic growth. These pilot projects will provide valuable practical experience, enabling the aforesaid key stakeholders to collectively test out the full lifecycle of financing arrangements based on IP assets, build cross sector trust, capacity building and long term partnerships, and provide guidance and basis for follow up arrangements.

     We are pleased to note that there has recently been successful completion of financing approval under the Sandbox, and other pilot cases are also undergoing the approval process. The CEDB and the IPD will, together with the HKMA, collect stakeholders’ views, consolidate market feedback and experience on the Sandbox, and make follow up arrangements (such as increasing the number of participating banks and pilot projects). Banks will conduct approval in accordance with their established procedures after taking into account risk and other relevant factors. It is therefore necessary for banks to have a good understanding of enterprises participating in pilot projects, so that they can conduct due diligence in accordance with regulatory requirements.

     At this stage, we will focus on leveraging the Sandbox to accumulate practical financing experience for local enterprises, and will closely monitor the latest developments in IP financing in both Hong Kong and the Mainland, so as to make the most appropriate arrangement for the next stage of work.

     In addition, to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) address the challenges of IP valuation, the Government will launch a two-year Pilot Patent Valuation Support Scheme (Pilot Scheme) through the Hong Kong Technology and Innovation Support Centre (HKTISC) to support eligible local SMEs to conduct valuation of their patents and other IP assets, which will provide concrete information on the enterprises’ assets to serve as a reference for credit financing.

     The Pilot Scheme, which is expected to be launched in the third quarter of this year, will adopt a matching grant model of one-to-one between the Government and eligible local SMEs and provide each enterprise of an approved application (approved enterprise) with a one off funding capped at $80,000 to support them in commissioning qualified valuation service providers to conduct quantitative valuation of their patents and other IP assets. If the IP assets of the approved enterprise include at least one Hong Kong patent granted under the Patents Ordinance (Cap. 514) that has also undergone substantive examination, the IPD’s patent examiners will, through the HKTISC, provide free qualitative patent evaluation service based on the national standard for one Hong Kong patent designated by the approved enterprise concerned. Valuation service providers may, where appropriate, refer to the results of such qualitative patent evaluation in conducting quantitative valuation. The Government has earmarked $28 million to support the HKTISC in providing patent evaluation for I&T enterprises and implementing the two-year Pilot Scheme.

     The Pilot Scheme will provide high quality qualitative patent evaluation and reliable quantitative valuation for IP assets held by approved enterprises. This not only assists relevant SMEs in demonstrating the economic value of their IP assets, but also enhances understanding of the value of intangible assets by financial institutions and investors, enabling them to consider the market potential of SMEs’ IP assets in a more comprehensive manner and increasing their confidence in investing in SMEs or establishing strategic partnerships with them. Relevant evaluation and valuation reports could also serve as references to banks and other financial institutions when they assess enterprises’ applications for financing, loans, etc. The IPD had briefed a number of local banks, through the HKMA, on the active supporting functions of the Pilot Scheme in their assessment of enterprises’ applications for financing, and the Pilot Scheme was positively received by the banks. The IPD is working with the HKTISC to actively prepare the concrete implementation arrangements and detailed execution plan for the Pilot Scheme. The IPD is also preparing a guidance document setting out the minimum information requirements for valuation reports provided by valuation service providers under the Pilot Scheme, so as to ensure consistency in the contents of such reports and assist banks in using them for credit assessment in compliance with prudent risk management principles. The Government will regularly review the overall progress of the operation of the Pilot Scheme, with a view to enhancing banks’ acceptance of valuation reports.

     The Government will continue to capitalise on Hong Kong’s advantages in legal and professional services, seize the opportunity brought by our country’s support for deepening Hong Kong’s development as a regional IP trading centre, and actively promote more IP trading and financing activities, with a view to further consolidating Hong Kong’s position as a regional IP trading centre.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Yung and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (June 3):

Question:     
(1) of the Park Company’s specific ways to maintain regular interface with the Authority of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Co-operation Zone of Shenzhen Municipality (the Qianhai Authority) and strengthen co-operation in areas such as industrial planning, attracting enterprises and investment, mutual recognition of standards, professional services;     
     In alignment with the overall strategy of the Northern Metropolis (NM) as “industry-driven”, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, in the beginning of this year, established the wholly government-owned Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company Limited (the Park Company), which will be responsible for the development and operation of the around 23-hectare Industry Park located in the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area, with a view to capitalising on the locational advantage of Hung Shui Kiu for its good transport network and proximity to Qianhai and Nanshan in Shenzhen to drive the development of industries with a competitive edge and supported by the HKSAR Government, including high value-added or smart production (such as pharmaceutical manufacturing and food processing) and advanced construction.
     
     The Industry Park, in conjunction development with the Hung Shui Kiu University Town, will foster deep integration of the industry, academia and research sectors, and attract talent. The Park Company will proactively attract high-quality enterprises to establish a foothold in the Industry Park through tailored packages, and provide support services such as testing and certification, business matching and staff training, etc. The Park Company will support enterprises in expanding their businesses, help Chinese Mainland enterprises to “go global” and “bring in” overseas firms, fully utilising Hong Kong’s advantages as an international city and boosting the economic impetus.
     
     In respect of the various parts of the question, having consulted the Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB), the reply is as follows:
     
(1) The Qianhai Co-operation Zone, with its high-standard opening up, promotes the innovative development of modern service industry, gathering the finance, technology, legal, and cultural and creative sectors, while the Nanshan District is a gathering place of high-tech innovation. Hung Shui Kiu is just a bay away from the Qianhai Co-operation Zone and the Nanshan District, offering great prospects for co-operation.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by Professor the Hon Chan Wing-kwong and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (June 3):

Question:(ii) Displaying signages and broadcasting announcements in the airport arrival area and through airlines to urge passengers who have visited the DRC or Uganda within the past 21 days to proactively declare their travel history to the on-site staff of the DH for further health assessment;
(iii) If an inbound traveller exhibits relevant symptoms and is assessed as a suspected case by the Port Health Division officers, arrangements will be made immediately to transfer the individual to the Hospital Authority Infectious Disease Centre (HAIDC) for isolation and treatment;
(iv) Strengthening public awareness and health education efforts regarding Ebola disease at all boundary control points, including broadcasting announcements and posting posters to alert travellers; and
(v) Providing the Airport Authority Hong Kong and airlines with the latest information on the virus, and urging airlines to remind their flight crews to strictly enforce established prevention and control measures if they identify suspected cases on their flights.　 
     The HA will continue to work closely with the CHP to monitor the development of the situation and review the relevant measures in a timely manner.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Following is a question by the Hon Carmen Kan and a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan, in the Legislative Council today (June 3):

Question:

     It has been reported that recently, some members of the public who have lost their identity cards have fallen victim to identity theft. After opening bank accounts online or in person, fraudsters have impersonated these members of the public to apply for loans and telecommunications services, or even engage in other criminal activities. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the fraudsters’ major means of identity theft (e.g. fraudulent offline use of physical identity documents and remote digital identity theft), and the nature of cases consequent to such acts (e.g. online shopping and borrowing), their numbers and pecuniary losses incurred over the past three years, with a breakdown in tabular form;

(2) whether the Government has grasped the situation where the credit scores of members of the public have been adversely affected due to identity theft over the past three years; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; whether the authorities will consider requiring the Credit Reference Platform “Credit Data Smart” or its participating institutions to provide relevant data to relevant regulatory bodies and the Police for follow-up;

(3) given that members of the public are currently able to access the online services of various government departments or bodies through “iAM Smart” and “iAM Smart+” which is equipped with a digital signing function, whether the Government has compiled respective statistics on the data application scenarios, data scope and popularization rates of various services of “iAM Smart” and “iAM Smart+” (e.g. using the public services provided by all government departments as the denominator in the calculation);

(4) given that members of the public will authorize government departments and bodies to retrieve user data (e.g. identity card numbers, photographs and contact information) when using “iAM Smart” and “iAM Smart+”, how the Government will strike a balance between providing facilitation to both the public and businesses and preventing identity theft, with details of relevant measures set out by type of government department and body;

(5) as it has been reported that in the field of fintech, government raw data may be referred to as “authoritative data sources”; Mainland financial institutions can connect to the Ministry of Public Security’s “National Citizen Identity Information Centre”, and when banks upload customers’ identity card numbers, names and photographs, the system can instantly compare such data against the Ministry of Public Security’s database, which will provide feedback on the authenticity of identity documents and facial matching results with enhanced effectiveness in fraud prevention, whether the Government will, with reference to this approach, adopt an open attitude towards providing “authoritative data sources” to financial institutions (e.g. allowing relevant departments and the Digital Policy Office to share suspicious intelligence with financial institutions and conduct identity verification); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(6) if the Government has no plan to fully open up “authoritative data sources” to financial institutions, what alternative measures are in place to assist financial institutions in conducting customer identity verification and due diligence, as well as the costs incurred by these measures (e.g. whether the authorities will consider opening up “authoritative data sources” first to digital banks that generally have no physical branch for face-to-face customer verification, so as to assist them in verifying customer identities); and

(7) whether the Government has a clear understanding of the technologies used by public bodies and financial institutions to prevent identity theft without its opening up of “authoritative data sources”, and the annual investment in the research and development as well as maintenance of such technologies; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

To address the issue of identify theft concerning members of the public, the Government, the financial regulators and the industry have been monitoring market and technology trends closely, and have been maintaining close communication and intelligence sharing. If crimes involving the production of counterfeit Hong Kong identity cards (HKIC) or the use of false identities are detected, the law enforcement agencies take proactive enforcement actions. 

After consulting the Security Bureau, the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), and the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA), the reply to the seven parts of the question is as follows:

(1) The Hong Kong Police Force carried out multiple arrest operations over the past year related to the making of false HKICs or the use of false identities, including Operation “SILVERHALL” launched in October 2025, which successfully dismantled a local fraud syndicate. The syndicate used deepfake technology to replace the portraits on HKICs which had been reported as lost, and successfully passed the facial recognition verification of online banking systems, opened 19 bank accounts, and used those identity cards to apply for loans and credit cards, involving approximately HK$220,000. In that operation, the Police arrested 23 persons, including the mastermind and core members of the syndicate, as well as holders of stooge accounts, which had been used to launder or handle crime proceeds totalling more than HK$190 million.

The Police does not maintain a breakdown of the primary methods by which fraudsters misused identities across all cases.

(2) When members of the public enquire about inaccuracies in their personal credit records held by a credit reference agency, the relevant credit provider or consumer credit reference agency will handle the matter in accordance with the procedures set out in paragraphs 3.19 and 3.20 of the Code of Practice on Consumer Credit Data, including verifying the information, following up with the data provider where necessary, and making corrections as soon as possible if the information is confirmed to be inaccurate.

These procedures effectively prevent or address situations where identity theft affects an individual’s credit record. Members of the public may also make use of credit alert services provided by consumer credit reference agencies as needed, to identify any inaccurate information or other suspicious circumstances early, and take follow-up action in a timely manner.

In cases of suspected identity theft, relevant institutions will verify the information and follow up in accordance with established risk management and compliance procedures, and cooperate with law enforcement agencies for further investigation if necessary.

The HKMA and consumer credit reference agencies do not maintain statistics on cases involving suspected identity theft that affect personal credit records.

(3) As of the end of May 2026, “iAM Smart” has registered over 4.5 million users, more than 80 per cent of whom use “iAM Smart+”. Currently, “iAM Smart” has achieved the goal of a “single portal for online government services” (i.e. all online government services have adopted “iAM Smart”), enabling access to over 1 400 online services provided by the Government and public and private organisations, as well as government e-forms. Citizens can use various functions of “iAM Smart”/”iAM Smart+”, including identity authentication, “e-Me” form filling and digital signing, etc, to log in to and access various related services, such as viewing and paying bills, registering for and logging in to the eMPF Platform, checking personal credit records, applying for loans, and opening accounts with banks and financial institutions online. 

(4) As a critical digital infrastructure, the “iAM Smart” platform has consistently adhered to the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance to protect citizens’ personal data. “iAM Smart” will transfer users’ personal data to online service providers only with the user’s prior consent. The personal data transferred may vary depending on the requirements of online service providers. It mainly includes users’ HKIC data (such as HKIC number, Chinese and English names, date of birth, gender, etc) and personal data voluntarily provided by the user in “e-ME” profile, including residential address, email address, phone number.

Personal data in the “iAM Smart” system are encrypted using prevailing internationally recognised and accepted Advanced Encryption Standard, and stored in government data centre facilities. During transmission of data over the Internet, Transport Layer Security is also adopted to encrypt data to ensure data security and integrity. The “iAM Smart” platform was successfully accredited with ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and ISO/IEC 27701:2019 international standard certifications in 2023. This shows that “iAM Smart” services have achieved international standards in information security and personal data protection. 

To tackle evolving security threats, the Digital Policy Office (DPO) continuously enhances the overall system security of “iAM Smart”, including adopting AI in deepfake detection during the facial recognition process, to ensure that selfie images are captured from real persons (instead of AI-generated fakes). We also utilise AI log analytics and monitoring techniques for anomaly detection to proactively identify and swiftly address potential system issues. Furthermore, to strengthen cybersecurity and guard against identity theft, the DPO introduced the “Step-up Authentication” function in “iAM Smart”, allowing online services to conduct additional identity verification for their users during key processes (e.g. bank account opening, remote authentication). Apart from the AI-powered anti-deepfake technology, “Step-up Authentication” function also supports the use of Near Field Communication (i.e. NFC) function of users’ mobile phones to read the identity card’s chip data. By cross-referencing data against the records of the Immigration Department in real time, it further enhances the security of identity authentication. Meanwhile, we engage red team to identify hidden security risks of the system, and arrange annual audits by independent third-party consultants to guard against information security risks.

(5) to (7) In the banking sector, the HKMA has all along required banks to adopt multiple layers of controls to authenticate customers’ identities and guard against fraud. These include the use of technology solutions to verify the authenticity of identity cards and facial recognition technology to confirm customers’ identities. The existing measures have been effective at validating customers’ identities. However, in view of evolving fraud tactics and technological developments, banks must also continually review and strengthen the relevant controls and identity verification processes.

In this regard, the HKMA is working closely with the DPO, banks, and the stored value facility industry and plans to progressively integrate “iAM Smart”‘s Step-up Authentication function into critical processes. Through leveraging the function to conduct facial recognition and reading of identity card chips, fraudsters can be prevented from using fake or stolen identity documents. This will provide another layer of protection to the customer identity authentication process. The HKMA is engaging with the industry on the arrangements for the first phase of implementation covering remote account opening. The plan is to commence testing within 2026 and extend relevant arrangements to other critical processes in phases, following a risk-based approach.

With respect to the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF), since all administration work of MPF schemes is centrally handled by the eMPF Platform, the MPFA is able to identify potential connections among suspicious cases more effectively and take follow-up action as early as possible. Furthermore, since December 2025, all online applications to register for the eMPF Platform must be submitted via “iAM Smart” as a measure to combat impersonation of MPF scheme members by criminals. MPFA has also required MPF trustees to put in place robust risk management and monitoring mechanisms, and to assist in conducting due diligence on cases referred by the eMPF Platform, for detecting and preventing fraudulent activities and strengthening the protection of scheme members’ interests.

In the securities sector, under the SFC’s Guideline on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Financing of Terrorism, licensed corporations must conduct customer due diligence before establishing a business relationship, verifying identity using reliable and independent documents, data, or information. For non face to face account opening, licensed corporations must take additional measures to mitigate risks associated with the absence of physical identity verification (e.g. impersonation risk). Since the launch of “iAM Smart”, the SFC has accepted the use of “iAM Smart” by intermediaries for identity verification during account opening, helping to prevent identity theft and reduce impersonation risk. “iAM Smart” provides a reliable and independent source of Hong Kong resident identity information, allowing intermediaries to verify customers through its authentication function. 

Nevertheless, “iAM Smart” is different in nature from the Chinese Mainland’s “National Citizen Identity Information Service Center system”. Registration for “iAM Smart” is voluntary, meaning its Step-up Authentication function can only be used where the customer has registered for “iAM Smart” and consented to its use. The Government will continue to monitor technological developments and the operational needs of the industry, and will keep reviewing and optimising related policies, while fully protecting personal data privacy and complying with Hong Kong’s legal framework. These include exploring the further use of the authentication capabilities of “iAM Smart”, and collaborating with various financial regulators to strengthen cross industry identity verification mechanisms, thereby more effectively preventing identity theft.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region