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The third phase of the new company search arrangement has been implemented since December 27, 2023. The following information can now be applied to be hidden and will no longer be available for public access:

• Residential addresses of company directors
• Full identification numbers (such as ID card numbers, passport numbers) of directors, company secretaries, and certain other individuals (such as liquidators and provisional liquidators)

Under the new arrangement, for documents submitted to the Registrar of Companies for registration before, on, or after December 27, 2023, if they meet the requirements of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Chapter 32) or the Companies Ordinance (Chapter 32) in force before the enactment of the said ordinance, applicants can make an application under section 49(1) of the ordinance to request the Registrar not to disclose the usual residential addresses (URAs) or full identification numbers (IDNs) of the applicants contained in the application documents for public access.

Traceable with no expiration, applies to deregistered companies as well

In other words, as long as the relevant conditions are met, applicants can protect the privacy of their residential addresses and identification numbers, preventing these details from being disclosed to the public. There is no time limit, and OneStart has confirmed with the relevant government departments that regardless of how long ago the information was recorded, or even if the company registration has been dissolved, applicants can apply to have the data protected and hidden on an individual basis!

For more detailed information, please continue reading the content below or directly consult with us.

The new company search arrangement has been implemented in three phases since 2021:

Phase 1:

Starting from August 23, 2021, the URAs of directors on the company register can be replaced with correspondence addresses. In addition, only partial IDNs of directors and company secretaries need to be provided for public access, without the need for complete disclosure.

Phase 2:

Starting from October 24, 2022, sensitive personal data listed in the director index of the company register will be available for public access through correspondence addresses and partial IDNs. Furthermore, future documents registered with the Companies Registry will no longer require the public disclosure of sensitive personal data. "Specified persons" can request access to protected data from the company register when necessary.

"Specified persons" include:

• Liquidators
• Trustees in bankruptcy cases
• Public servants or public institutions
• Lawyers/legal professionals
• Practicing accountants/accounting professionals
• Financial institutions
• Recognized institutions
• Licensed trust or company service providers

Phase 3:

Starting from December 27, 2023, data subjects can apply to the Companies Registry not to provide protected data contained in documents registered with the Registry, and instead provide correspondence addresses and partial IDNs for public access. "Specified persons" can also request access to data that directors and others have chosen not to provide.

Conclusion

The implementation of the new company search arrangement has significantly improved the protection of personal privacy for companies. OneStart Business Centre provides professional company secretary services with years of experience to assist you in easily applying to limit disclosure of personal data in the companies register. For more information on company secretary, call 3575 6888 or WhatsApp OneStart Business Consultant now!

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