Hong Kong investigates Louis Vuitton data leak that affected 419,000

The French fashion brand finds suspicious activities on its computer system and discovers later on that it affected Hong Kong customers

A man walks with a Louis Vuitton shopping bag in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China Dec 5, 2023. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

Hong Kong's privacy watchdog said on Monday that it was investigating a data leak at Louis Vuitton affecting about 419,000 customers, just after a cyberattack on the luxury brand in South Korea in June.

Leaked data included names, passport details, addresses and email addresses as well as phone numbers, shopping history and product preferences, Hong Kong's Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data said in an emailed statement.

Louis Vuitton submitted the data breach incident to the office on Jul 17. Its French head office found suspicious activities on its computer system on Jun 13 and then discovered on Jul 2 that it affected Hong Kong customers, the statement said.

The office said it had launched an investigation into Louis Vuitton Hong Kong, including whether the incident involved delayed notification. No relevant complaints or inquiries have been received so far, it said.

The incident comes after a systems breach at Louis Vuitton in Korea in June led to the leak of some customer data, including contact information, but it did not involve customers' financial information, the company said.

Louis Vuitton did not immediately respond to requests for comment.