A Greens MP has warned that proposed NSW organised crime laws could give police unprecedented, warrantless access to people's phones and personal data, including devices seized during ordinary roadside stops. Sue Higginson said the changes, though presented as targeting organised crime, would apply to everyone in the state and represent a further erosion of privacy in favour of broad, opaque police powers.

Under the bill, police investigating serious organised crime could compel someone to unlock a phone seized during an arrest or stop, with refusal punishable by up to seven years in jail; officers could then use forensic extraction tools to clone the device's contents, including deleted files. The legislation would also give police access to high-resolution toll camera images identifying drivers and passengers, and make millions of NSW driver licence photos available through a federal facial recognition system, a prospect Higginson said could expose licence holders' images to misuse. Cybersecurity expert Ahmed Khanji noted that extraction devices such as UFED can clone a phone's contacts, messages, photos and system files within minutes. NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley defended the proposals, arguing criminals increasingly use technology to evade detection and that police need updated powers to keep pace.