Hong Kong police can now demand that people suspected of breaching the city's national security law provide mobile phone or computer passwords in a further crackdown on dissent. ADVERTISEMENTThe city government on Monday gazetted the new amendments to the implementation rules of the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020, using powers to bypass Hong Kong's legislature. The sweeping law punishes acts, including subversion and collusion with foreign forces, with up to life imprisonment. According to the Security Bureau, a total of 386 people have been arrested for national security crimes so far, with 176 people and four companies convicted. Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced to a 20-year jail term in February for collusion with ​foreign forces and sedition, sparking international criticism.

Source: The Telegraph March 23, 2026 13:46 UTC