Fact · legal · 2026-10-10
Hong Kong does not recognise a standalone "image right"
香港唔設獨立「肖像權」
Figure and reference date
Hong Kong has no standalone statutory "right to one’s own image". Unauthorised use of a person’s image is addressed mainly under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) and its data-protection principles, plus passing-off, trade-mark infringement or defamation.
香港並無獨立嘅「肖像權／人格權」成文法；未經授權使用他人影像，主要受《個人資料（私隱）條例》(第 486 章) 保障資料原則，以及誤導性過失、商標侵權或誹謗等普通法／法例規管
Notes and definition
An identifiable photograph of a living individual can be personal data; using it for a new purpose without consent may breach Data Protection Principle 3, and the Privacy Commissioner may issue an enforcement notice.
Other figures in this group (legal)
Figures in the same group are not necessarily additive — check the basis note above first. Legal system.
| Item / 項目 | Figure / 數字 | As of / 時點 | Source / 來源 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basis of the legal system 法律制度基礎 | Common law supplemented by statute; constitutional framework is the Basic Law 普通法輔以成文法；憲制框架為《基本法》 The legal system is distinct from that of the mainland of China. Current legislation is on the electronic Hong Kong e-Legislation site. | 1997-07-01 | The legal system of Hong Kong |
| Judicial independence 司法獨立 | The Judiciary is wholly independent of the executive and the legislature 司法機關完全獨立於行政和立法機關 | 1997-07-01 | The legal system of Hong Kong |
| Number of magistrates courts 香港裁判法院數目 | 7 courts 7 所 Judiciary factsheet: 7 magistrates courts at Eastern, Kowloon City, Kwun Tong, Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin, Fanling and Tuen Mun. | 2026 | Judiciary Fact Sheet |
| Total court caseload (2024) 各級法院整體案件量（2024） | Approx. 552,000 cases 約 552,000 宗 LegCo paper: 2024 total caseload approx. 552,000, about 9% above the 2019-2023 five-year average. | 2024 | LegCo: caseload statistics (2021-2025) |
| Toy and Children’s Products Safety Ordinance made 《玩具及兒童產品安全條例》頒布 | 6 November 1992 1992 年 11 月 6 日 The Hong Kong Chronicles record the ordinance made that day, requiring toys sold or used in Hong Kong to meet international standards, and describe it as Hong Kong’s first law aimed specifically at toy safety (now Chapter 424, Toy and Children’s Products Safety Ordinance). | 1992-11-06 | Hong Kong Chronicles: Overview and Chronology (c. 5000 BC–2017, over 6,500 events) |
Other figures from the same official source
These figures come from the same registered document: “PCPD: key facts and history” (Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data). Being in one document does not make them additive.
| Item / 項目 | Figure / 數字 | As of / 時點 | Source / 來源 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCPD established 私隱專員公署成立 | 1 August 1996 1996年8月1日 | 1996-08-01 | PCPD: key facts and history |
Verified questions that cite this figure
Does Hong Kong have a "right to one’s own image"?
Hong Kong has no standalone statutory "right to one’s own image". Protection of a person’s likeness falls mainly under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance and privacy case law; collecting or using personal data without consent can amount to a privacy breach.
（已核對問題頁目前只有中文版；上面嘅英文標題同答案本身係資料檔嘅官方英文欄位。）
How to cite this figure
Hong Kong Story, “Hong Kong does not recognise a standalone "image right"”, https://hongkongstory.org/en/facts/no-portrait-right, data as at 2026-10-10 (retrieved ＿).
中文：香港紀事館，〈香港唔設獨立「肖像權」〉，https://hongkongstory.org/facts/no-portrait-right，資料時點 2026-10-10（查閱日期 ＿）。
Machine-readable: /api/v1/facts.json (id = no-portrait-right) · OpenAPI 3.1 ·/llms.txt
Registered source
Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data
The official document carries no registered publication date, so only the retrieval date 2026-09-12 is given — no publication year is invented.
This site is a secondary compilation: the official text prevails. If the figure above differs from the official document, the official document is correct.