Hong Kong Issues Privacy Guidance for Agentic AI Use

Hong Kong has published new privacy guidance specifically for agentic AI. The Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data released a document titled ‘Protecting Personal Data Privacy in the Use of Agentic AI’. This guidance provides practical recommendations for organizations deploying agentic AI. Its goal is to help them safeguard personal data privacy and comply with local regulations. The Digital Policy Office and the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute support this initiative. Agentic AI can work towards a goal and carry out tasks with limited human supervision. The guidance outlines nine recommendations to address privacy risks, including data minimization, transparent privacy notices, and security safeguards. It also emphasizes continuous risk assessment and clear governance. An annex includes a security checklist for implementing these recommendations throughout the AI lifecycle. The Privacy Commissioner highlights that agentic AI operates with high autonomy, performing tasks from managing emails to processing payments. This move links to the government’s ‘AI+’ policy, stressing that innovation needs strong personal data privacy safeguards. This matters because it sets clear expectations for managing the heightened privacy risks posed by autonomous AI systems.