Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force (NSD) received a referral from the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, that a batch of books with seditious intention was intercepted inside a consignment shipped to Hong Kong from overseas.  

Following investigations, the NSD conducted an operation today (July 15). Officers searched two shops in Mong Kok and arrested two men aged 37 and 57 respectively, and three women aged between 30 and 59. They were suspected of contravening the offence of “doing an act that has a seditious intention with a seditious intention” under Section 24 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.

Police investigations revealed that the five arrestees are suspected of displaying items with seditious intent and selling publications with seditious content inside the shops. The contents of these publications involved inciting hatred against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, the judiciary, and law enforcement agencies. A batch of books with seditious intention was seized from the shops.

The five arrested persons are being detained for investigation.

Police remind members of the public that “doing an act that has a seditious intention with a seditious intention” is a serious offence. Upon first conviction, the maximum penalty is imprisonment for seven years. Members of the public are urged not to defy the law.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by the Hon Joephy Chan and a written reply by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, in the Legislative Council today (July 15):

Question:

The Government is actively aligning with the National 15th Five-Year Plan and promoting the development of “Artificial Intelligence Plus”, and is continuously promoting the application of AI in government affairs to support economic and social transformation and upgrading. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) given that the 1823 Contact Centre currently adopts AI technology mainly for handling public enquiries, complaints or service requests, whether the Government will consider utilising AI for post-case compilation, consolidation and analysis of data, for example, by introducing a “one issue per month” system to regularly focus on high-frequency complaints, as well as a “one issue per district” system to focus on high-frequency district-level feedback, and regularly reporting key public concerns in each district to the respective District Councils and District Offices, so as to gain an in-depth understanding of the issues and put forward targeted solutions; if so, of the details; if not, whether the Government will consider implementing the relevant proposals;

(2) as chapter 13, section 3 of the Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China mentions enhancing the level of digital and intelligent governance, whether the Government will draw on the experience of the Mainland’s “12345 government service hotline” to proactively identify issues of long-standing public concern through 1823’s big data, and incorporate this into Hong Kong’s first five-year plan to formulate reform targets;

(3) during the period from January to May this year, among the cases handled by 1823 relating to “Service Request/Complaint Handling”, those involving multiple departments accounted for three per cent; of the following information regarding such cases: (i) the shortest and longest time from receipt to completion of handling and responding to the customer; (ii) the main government departments involved; (iii) the types and contents of the cases; and (iv) the level of customer satisfaction (with a full score of five); regarding case follow-up, whether the Government will strengthen on-site verification and conduct ongoing monitoring; if so, of the details;

(4) in response to a Member’s question in this Council on June 11 last year, the Government indicated that it would further strengthen the 1823 mechanisms for case classification, triage and referral, further expand the use or trial of AI technology in different service areas and interfaces, and enhance the chatbot’s question-answering capabilities; of the areas of improvement in the relevant technology, the effectiveness of implementation and the changes in the number of cases handled to date;

(5) as the Mainland’s “12345 government service hotline” offers a wide range of services, including the provision of sign language video services to cater for people with hearing impairment, consultancy services for enterprises, and foreign language services to assist in answering enquiries from foreigners, whether the Government will refer to the service scope of this hotline to enhance 1823 services so as to cater for the needs of different groups; if so, of the detailed plans and directions; if not, the reasons for that; and

(6) as Hong Kong occasionally encounters emergency incidents, and members of the public need various types of emergency support, such as temporary cold shelters and supplies replenishment, whether the Government will consider enhancing the logistical support capability of 1823 in handling emergency cases, such as integrating the hotlines of various government departments into 1823 and utilising AI to shorten handling time and speed up the dissemination of information; if so, of the detailed plans and directions; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

Operated by the Digital Policy Office (DPO), 1823 handles enquiries, compliments and suggestions for 23 participating policy bureaux/departments (B/Ds), and receives all requests for government services/complaints about government services. For requests for government services/complaints, 1823 will record the case details and refer them to the appropriate B/Ds for handling. The responsible B/Ds will determine how to follow up and respond. 1823 will track the progress of the B/Ds’ replies and, upon request from the respective B/Ds, convey their reply to the service requestor/complainant.

Regarding the question raised by the Hon Joephy Chan, our reply is as follows.

(1), (2) and (4) In 2025, 1823 launched a number of service enhancement initiatives, including enabling intelligent interoperability between the 1823 chatbot “Tammy” and the GovHK chatbot “Bonny”; providing 1823 services on the “iAM Smart” platform; enhancing the Geographic Information System and the business rule engine to improve the referral efficiency of cases in rural areas; and launching a digital self-service enquiry platform. These measures have effectively enhanced user experience and operational efficiency, enabling staff to focus on handling more complex cases, thereby alleviating the manpower pressure arising from the increase in complaint cases.

In addition, 1823 is now expanding the application of AI+ technology across various operational areas. This includes piloting the use of AI to analyse unstructured data from citizens’ calls and emails, automatically extracting information from service requests/complaints on specific topics and populating to the respective fields in the Customer Relationship Management System; using AI to analyse departments’ email replies to cases referred by 1823 to automatically identify cases for priority handling; and developing a Web App that allows citizens to use 1823 service directly through the “iAM Smart” platform without downloading the 1823 mobile application.

Regarding the proposals of “one issue per month” and “one issue per district”, 1823, as a data provider, will submit monthly reports to participating departments that categorise service requests/complaints by type and/or district. This enables departments to conduct comprehensive analysis by combining with their own data, thereby gaining a better understanding of public needs. In addition, 1823 will provide additional information upon request from individual B/Ds to facilitate in-depth analysis on specific topics or regional hot topics, and formulation of targeted improvement measures.

(3) From January to May 2026, 1823 received over 300 000 service requests/complaints, with an average referral time of approximately one hour. About three per cent of these cases required referral to multiple departments. These cases were mainly related to issues such as environmental hygiene, noise nuisance, or street obstructions, and usually involved more than one department. Upon receiving a referral from 1823, the relevant departments will determine the follow-up action and how to address the citizen’s request, and provides a substantive reply according to its performance pledge. If the citizen has any opinions on the department’s reply or follow-up actions, 1823 will relay them to the department concerned for further review and action. The overall user satisfaction rating for 1823 service was 4.6 (out of five). 1823 does not maintain separate user satisfaction levels for cases involving multiple departments.

(5) 1823 offers a variety of communication channels, including telephone, mobile application, web forms, and email, to facilitate use by citizens with different needs (including persons with disabilities). In addition to providing citizens with contact centre services, 1823 also handles enquiries from businesses regarding company registration, labour laws, etc. Apart from the existing biliteral and trilingual (Cantonese, Putonghua and English) services, 1823 also collaborates with the Centre for Harmony and Enhancement of Ethnic Minority Residents to support calls in eight ethnic minority languages.

(6) 1823 has an emergency response mechanism in place and maintains close communication with various emergency departments and hotlines (such as the 999 Report Centre, the Highways Department, the Drainage Services Department, and the Civil Engineering and Development Department). For instance, when inclement weather-related emergencies occur (e.g. fallen trees, flooding, landslides and road blockages), 1823 will activate the mechanism to prioritise the handling and referral of urgent cases. In addition, 1823 will provide hotline support for major incidents upon request from departments.

The DPO will continue to actively explore technologies such as AI and will draw on the experiences of different places to continuously enhance the 1823 service.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Lam Wai-kong and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (July 15):
 
Question:
 
     Hong Kong has experienced several adverse weather events in recent years, which seriously affected the safety of employees working outdoors and commuting to and from work. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it has compiled statistics on the respective numbers of cases in which employees sustained an injury or died while at work and commuting to and from work due to adverse weather and extreme conditions in each year since 2024, as well as the number of labour disputes resulting from such cases; if not, whether the Government will collect the aforesaid statistics in the future;
 
(2) whether the Labour Department (LD) will consider incorporating guidelines into the “Code of Practice in Times of Adverse Weather and ‘Extreme Conditions'” (Code of Practice) to recommend employers to conduct safety risk assessments in advance for employees who need to work in times of adverse weather and extreme conditions; if so, when it plans to revise the relevant Code of Practice; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(3) whether the LD will consider recommending in the Code of Practice that employers, after assigning “designated staff” on duty in times of adverse weather and extreme conditions, should provide the “designated staff” concerned with travel allowance covering the direct route from his place of work to his place of residence; if so, when it plans to amend the relevant Code of Practice; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(4) given that some employers may abuse the “designated staff” arrangement under the Code of Practice to shift risks to insurance companies through the employees’ compensation insurance policies, resulting in insurance companies raising employees’ insurance premiums for the entire industry with the costs eventually borne by all employers in the industry, will the Government consider requiring the employers to take out additional insurance for “designated staff” working under adverse weather and extreme conditions, thereby preventing insurance companies from raising employees’ compensation premiums across the entire industry and alleviating the overall premium burden on employers?

Reply:
 
President,
 
     The Labour Department (LD) published the revised “Code of Practice in Times of Adverse Weather and ‘Extreme Conditions'” (CoP) in May this year, reinforcing the reminder to employers on three major principles of formulating work arrangements under adverse weather or extreme conditions, which include formulating work arrangements in advance, giving prime consideration to employees’ safety and complying with requirements of labour legislation. The current CoP also includes corporate examples for employers’ reference.
 
     The reply to the Member’s question is as follows:

(1) Under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance (ECO), employers are liable to pay compensation for injuries or deaths occurred when employees are travelling by a direct route from their residences to their workplaces, or from their workplaces back to their residences after work, within a period of four hours before or after the working hours on a day when the adverse weather (including Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or higher, a Red or Black Rainstorm Warning Signal) or extreme conditions are in force. 

     During 2024 to June 2026, the numbers of reported employees’ compensation cases relating to the aforementioned adverse weather and extreme conditions received by the Employees’ Compensation Division of the LD are set out below:
 

     In general, the number of reported employees’ compensation cases relating to the adverse weather and extreme conditions received each year is inevitably affected by the weather conditions during the year, resulting in occasional greater fluctuations.
 
     On the other hand, the Labour Relations Division of the LD has started to capture the number of employment claims arising from adverse weather or extreme conditions since September 2025. As at June this year, no related claim was recorded.

(2) The CoP has stipulated that employers should make prior work arrangements and contingency measures in times of adverse weather and extreme conditions with employees and give prime consideration to the safety of employees. Wherever possible, employers should avoid assigning employees to work in times of adverse weather (such as tropical cyclones and rainstorms) or extreme conditions. If it is unavoidable that employees have to work under the above conditions, the employers should conduct risk assessment and take suitable safety measures in advance to minimise the work-related risks as far as reasonably practicable, so as to ensure the safety and health of the employees at work with a view to fulfilling the employers’ general duty provisions under the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance.

(3) The CoP has emphasised that if employees are required to report for duty at workplaces when Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or higher, Black Rainstorm Warning Signal or extreme conditions are in force (i.e. “designated staff”) without provision of transport service to and from their workplaces by employers, the employers should grant these employees a travelling allowance. The CoP has included corporate examples to illustrate such arrangements for reference of employers and employees.

(4) The ECO stipulates that all employers shall have in force a policy of insurance to cover their liabilities under the law (including the common law), encompassing liabilities to pay compensation if an employee (including a “designated staff”) sustains an injury or dies as a result of an accident while commuting between his residence and workplace within the period of adverse weather or during which extreme conditions are in force. Insurance companies in general will take into account the underwriting risks of different industries/occupations, the earnings of employees, the claims history of and the risk prevention measures taken by the employers concerned, etc. in drawing up insurance premium quotations.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by Dr the Hon Elvin Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, in the Legislative Council today (July 15):

Question:

     The Consumer Council (Council) announced at the beginning of this year that the overall number of complaints received in 2025 has ended the three-consecutive-year upward trend, falling back to 38 187, a decrease of 6 per cent compared with 2024. However, there were 18 913 online shopping complaints in the same year, representing a year-on-year increase of 12 per cent and accounting for about 50 per cent of the overall complaints, up from 42 per cent in the preceding year. The total amount involved also increased substantially by 45 per cent to nearly $93 million. In addition, complaints lodged by Hong Kong consumers against Mainland merchants concerning online shopping and non-online shopping have also risen by over 40 per cent respectively, a situation which is a cause for concern. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the numbers of reports concerning unfair trade practices in online shopping received by the authorities and the relevant enforcement figures in 2024 and 2025, as well as the year-on-year increases in the relevant figures; whether the authorities will introduce further measures to step up inspections and enforcement against unfair trade practices in online shopping; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) whether the authorities will conduct a dedicated study on reports and complaints about unfair trade practices, so as to ascertain the main categories of goods or industries to which the increased reports and complaints relate; whether the authorities will further review whether the existing legislation, such as the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Cap. 362) and the Sale of Goods Ordinance (Cap. 26), is adequate to regulate online shopping services, and whether the authorities will consider enacting dedicated legislation to strengthen regulation (in particular targeting cross-boundary online shopping); if so, of the details and implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that;

(3) given that the Council has joined the “Online Shopping Consumer Protection Express Platform” scheme established by the China Consumers’ Association, and has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to further establish a collaboration mechanism for consumer protection with the Guangdong Consumer Council, whether the Government is aware of whether the Council has assessed the effectiveness of these mechanisms in handling complaints involving Mainland e-commerce traders in recent years, and whether the Council will step up promotion to the public of the channels for lodging complaints about cross-boundary online shopping services; and

(4) given that there are views pointing out that consumers lack understanding of differences in product standards and legal liability in cross-boundary online shopping, whether the Government will step up public education, such as publicising online-shopping “anti-scam tips” and risk reminders for cross-boundary consumption through various media, so as to enhance public vigilance?

Reply:

President,

     As online shopping has become increasingly popular in recent years, consumer habits are gradually shifting from brick-and-mortar models to online channels, and many traders are selling goods or services through online shopping platforms. In view of the changing market landscape, the Consumer Council (Council) has noted a recent increase in complaints regarding goods or services purchased online, as well as a rise in the proportion of such complaints relative to the total. In 2025, complaints regarding online shopping accounted for 50 per cent of the Council’s total complaints, up from 42 per cent in 2024. This rise is primarily due to the increased frequency of transactions conducted online for specific types of goods or services, such as hotel reservations and event ticket purchases. The Government has been committed to considering how to enhance consumer protection, ensuring that transactions take place in an environment that is fair and safeguards the rights and interests of both consumers and traders, regardless of whether goods or services are provided online. In view of the prevalence of online shopping, the Government is also actively strengthening its efforts to protect consumers in this area.

     In response to Dr the Hon Elvin Lee’s question, our reply is as follows:

(1) and (2) The Government is committed to safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of consumers. Currently, various laws in Hong Kong regulate consumer activities conducted through both physical and online channels. For example, the Sale of Goods Ordinance (Cap. 26), the Control of Exemption Clauses Ordinance (Cap. 71), the Supply of Services (Implied Terms) Ordinance (Cap. 457) and the Unconscionable Contracts Ordinance (Cap. 458) have laid down provisions to regulate relevant consumer contracts, including stipulating implied conditions in the contract of sale of goods (for example, the goods supplied are of merchantable quality and that a buyer has the right to reject defective goods unless he or she has a reasonable opportunity to examine the goods); a supplier of a service is obliged to carry out the service with reasonable care and skill and within a reasonable time; and the courts are empowered to refuse to enforce, or to revise unconscionable terms in consumer contracts for the sale of goods or supply of services.

     On the other hand, the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Cap. 362) (TDO) prohibits traders from engaging in unfair trade practices against consumers, including false trade descriptions, misleading omissions, aggressive commercial practices, bait advertising, bait and switch, and wrongly accepting payment. The TDO covers both goods and services, and is applicable to both physical and online traders.

     As the principal enforcement agency of the TDO, the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) is committed to combatting unfair trade practices at source, and adopts a three-pronged approach, including compliance promotion targeting traders, enforcement actions, and publicity and public education.

     Regardless of whether sales or transactions are conducted online, the C&ED will take resolute enforcement action if there is any suspected unfair trade practice. Regarding online shopping, the C&ED received 3 602 and 2 526 complaints concerning suspected unfair trade practices in 2024 and 2025 respectively. During the same period, the C&ED successfully prosecuted four cases involving unfair trade practices in online shopping. The C&ED has been closely monitoring complaint figures and trends, including the sectors most frequently associated with unfair trade practices, the goods and services involved, and sales channels, and adjusting its enforcement strategies in light of actual circumstances. To address unfair trade practices associated with online shopping, in addition to following up on reported cases, the C&ED will monitor different types of illegal online activities by using tools for evidence collection and investigation, and initiate follow-up actions and prosecutions where appropriate. If local or overseas websites are found to be conducting illegal activities, the C&ED may demand such websites to remove the relevant contents or links. Depending on the circumstances, joint operations with overseas enforcement agencies will also be mounted as and when required. If the cases involve offences falling outside the purview of the C&ED (such as the offence of fraud), the C&ED will refer such cases to other relevant law enforcement agencies for immediate follow-up.

     In addition, the C&ED has proactively engaged with major online Mainland shopping platforms to establish communication mechanisms, facilitate exchanges, and strengthen compliance promotion. Earlier this year, the C&ED signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with two cross-border e-commerce platforms, Taobao Tmall Hong Kong and Jingdong Group, to establish closer communication and collaboration mechanisms, strengthen compliance promotion, thereby providing more comprehensive protection of consumers’ rights and interests.

     The Government will continue to keep a close watch on relevant complaint and enforcement figures, and review trends in unfair trade practices so as to formulate appropriate response strategies in protecting consumers’ rights and interests.

(3) and (4) The Council endeavours to study and promote the protection of consumers’ rights and interests, and carries out its statutory functions in accordance with the Consumer Council Ordinance (Cap. 216), including the handling of complaints relating to goods and services of and the provision of advice to consumers, conducting surveys and studies on issues of consumers’ interest, as well as disseminating consumer information through CHOICE articles.

     The Council has actively strengthened the protection of consumers’ rights and interests in cross-border online shopping. In addition to participating on a trial basis in the “Online Shopping Consumer Protection Express Platform” established by the China Consumers’ Association, the Council signed an MOU to further establish a collaboration mechanism for consumer protection with the Guangdong Consumer Council in 2024, to strengthen co-operation between Guangdong and Hong Kong in safeguarding consumer rights and interests through cross-boundary complaint referrals, sharing of consumer information and regular exchanges, enhance the efficiency of resolving cross-boundary consumer disputes, and promote the integrated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area’s consumer markets.

     In addition, the Council has been actively seeking to sign MOUs with consumer protection organisations in various places to establish a mechanism for referring cross-border complaints, including Macao and more than 30 Mainland provinces and municipalities. When the Council receives complaints regarding cross-border online shopping that involve non-local traders, the Council handles and follows up on these cases in an orderly and effective manner in accordance with established complaint handling mechanisms, through case referrals and information exchange with relevant consumer protection organisations. The Council will continue to handle cross-border online shopping complaints along the above direction and encourage consumers to seek assistance when needed.

     To more effectively safeguard consumer rights and interests in cross-border online shopping, in October 2025, the Council established the Working Group on Cross-border Consumer Protection and E-commerce Development, comprising representatives from local and Mainland e-commerce enterprises and other stakeholders to provide professional advice on relevant standards development, industry best practices and trends in cross-border consumer complaints etc, thereby strengthening the protection of consumers’ rights and interests in respect of cross-border online shopping activities and reducing consumer disputes. To address cross-border consumer issues arising from differences in laws and standards between Hong Kong and other places concerning various goods, the Council will remind consumers from time to time of the potential risks associated with cross-border consumer activities. For example, last year, the Council issued a consumer alert jointly with the Guangdong Consumer Council and Macao Special Administrative Region Government Consumer Council, appealing to consumers to pay careful attention to the differences in policies, logistics arrangements and product standards among the three places, and has published relevant CHOICE articles on relevant topics from time to time.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Hong Kong Customs today (July 15) conducted joint anti-illicit cigarette publicity campaigns with members of the District Council, the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the Department of Health, the Hong Kong Police Force and the Housing Department (HD) at Tai Yuen Estate and Fu Heng Estate in Tai Po. Customs also publicised the Duty Stamp System. 

Customs officers patrolled the housing estates, introduced to residents Customs’ enforcement actions against illicit cigarettes, and reminded them that the maximum penalty for offences related to duty-not-paid cigarettes had been increased to a fine of $2 million and seven-years’ imprisonment. Customs also explained to estate security personnel how to deal with suspected illicit cigarette activities.

Customs officers also introduced to the members of the District Council, residents and cigarette retailers the Duty Stamp System to be implemented in Hong Kong. The three-month Pilot Run for the Duty Stamp System launched by Customs concluded early this year. The department will continue to maintain close communication with all stakeholders and optimise the design and implementation details of the system. Customs expects the Duty Stamp System to achieve the ultimate goal of effective distinguishing of duty-paid cigarettes from duty-not-paid ones, and to combat “cheap whites”.

Customs will continue to strengthen publicity and education to raise the public awareness of anti-illicit cigarettes. If public rental housing units are found to be involved in illicit cigarette crimes, Customs will notify the HD for follow-up action after the conclusion of court proceedings. Customs reminds members of the public not to buy or sell illicit cigarettes or distribute illicit cigarette leaflets to avoid creating a criminal record that could affect their future. 

Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109), anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years. Members of the public are urged to report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080, its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002). 

In accordance with the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371), no person shall distribute any smoking product advertisement (including any promotional leaflet). Any person who contravenes the regulation is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000. Members of the public are also urged to report any suspected activities of illicit cigarette leaflet distribution to TACO’s hotline 2961 8823.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region