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On the car plate search issue: Dept. of Transport has been narrowing the permitted purposes of car plate search. Applicants used to be allowed to choose "others" and specify their own purposes for the search. That option was removed earlier this year. https://hk.appledaily.com/local/20201103/MG34LKKWENE2DL5FUPVILAGHUY/
On the application form for the search, "Others" is now redefined as "other traffic and transport related matters". With no room for elaboration, there is now only 3 legitimate purposes left, along with "legal proceedings" and "sale and purchase of vehicle".
This change significantly means there is no longer a safe and legal path for journalists to apply for a car plate search.
The declaration section was also lengthened. In addition to being truthful, now applicants need to declare data obtained will only be used for traffic and transport related matters, and that they understand the restrictions under Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance.
The web page with "Points to note" was last revised in Jan 2020. Our records show the old format of application form was valid as late as Nov 2019. This change came in about the same time as other public searches, such as marital and birth records, were also blocking journalists.
