Injunction Issued Against Harassing, Doxxing Police

The High Court on Friday issue a temporary injunction banning the public from "harassing" police officers or publishing any information about them online, from their names and addresses, to photographs or even Facebook accounts.

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

Other injunctions had already been granted in recent days to offer protection to officers handling the ongoing anti-government protests, with election registers now kept secret from the public, and restrictions on gathering near police residential quarters.

On Friday, the police commissioner and justice secretary asked the High Court to ban people from "intimidating, molesting, harassing, threatening, pestering or interfering" with police officers or their families, as well as disclosing personal information on them without their permission.

The force asked the court to make it illegal for people to "publish, communicate or disclose to any other person" personal data on officers and their relatives including their names, job titles, addresses, car registration plates and ID numbers.

Photographs of officers and/or their families should also be covered, as well as their Facebook and Instagram accounts, the police chief and justice secretary said.

A writ said people must also be banned from "assisting, causing, counselling, procuring, instigating, inciting, aiding, abetting or authorising others" to release such information.

Police have complained that many officers have been the victim of doxxing since the anti-government protests broke out in June, causing some to fear for their safety.

By August, the Privacy Commissioner said he had received several hundred complaints about doxxing, with police officers the alleged victims in 70 percent of the cases.

Some protesters have also had their personal information leaked online or have found pictures of themselves splashed on the pages of pro-Beijing news publications.

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