{
  "id": 12576951,
  "title": "Taiwan accuses Hong Kong residents of hiring 4 people to spy on lawmaker critical of China",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/taiwan-accuses-hong-kong-residents-of-hiring-4-people-to-spy-on",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-07T07:45:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hong Kong Free Press",
    "slug": "hong-kong-free-press-hongkongfp",
    "url": "https://hongkongfp.com/2026/10/07/taiwan-accuses-hong-kong-residents-of-hiring-4-people-to-spy-on-lawmaker-critical-of-china/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Taiwanese prosecutors have charged four individuals from Hong Kong with spying on a Taiwanese lawmaker, Puma Shen. Shen, a member of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and a vocal critic of China, was allegedly targeted between October 2024 and November 2024. Prosecutors stated that the Hong Kong residents hired the four Taiwanese defendants to follow and photograph Shen, his wife, and their daughter. The defendants were charged under the Personal Data Protection Act for illegally collecting and using personal data, causing harm to the family. Three of the accused individuals placed a small camera on Shen's motorbike, which they parked in front of his family's home in Taipei. The images were then sent to the Hong Kong pair via the messaging app Telegram. The Hong Kong residents allegedly paid one of the defendants around US$12,700 (HK$99,669) for the surveillance. Arrest warrants have been issued for the two Hong Kong individuals. Shen, who is running for Taipei mayor in local elections on November 28, has not yet commented on the case.",
  "summary": "Four people were charged after allegedly surveilling a Taiwanese lawmaker and his family two years ago, prosecutors said on Wednesday. Taipei prosecutors alleged that two people in Hong Kong hired the four Taiwanese defendants to follow, film and photograph Puma Shen, who is a member of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and an outspoken […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Four Hong Kong residents accused of spying on Taiwanese lawmaker Puma Shen",
    "Shen, DPP member and China critic, targeted Oct-Dec 2024",
    "Defendants charged for illegally collecting personal data and causing harm"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "VnExpress International",
        "title": "Mother of slain Hong Kong model Abby Choi tells murder trial former in-laws lived off her family's money",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/mother-of-slain-hong-kong-model-abby-choi-tells-murder-trial-former",
        "published": "2026-10-07T02:33:12.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Hong Kong police investigate case of girl, 10, made to carry bags of beer",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/hong-kong-police-investigate-case-of-girl-10-made-to-carry-bags-of",
        "published": "2026-10-07T03:17:16.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hong Kong Free Press",
        "title": "Taiwan accuses Hong Kong residents of hiring 4 people to spy on lawmaker critical of China",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/taiwan-accuses-hong-kong-residents-of-hiring-4-people-to-spy-on-12577728",
        "published": "2026-10-07T07:45:44.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}