New law enables Hong Kong police to demand passwords
Because of an amendment to Hong Kong’s National Security Law, police officers can now force a suspect to hand over their passwords for their smartphone or laptop.
People who are under national security investigation have to provide passwords to unlock or help decrypt their devices. Failure to do so may result in a fine of HK$100,000 (approximately $12,500) or one year in prison.
Suspects who provide false information to police officers risk a fine of HK$500,000 (roughly $64,000) or a prison sentence of up to three years.
If the police believe that someone else holds the information to unlock or decrypt a device, this person can be coerced into disclosing this information.
The amendment also enables customs officers to seize items that are believed to have “seditious intention,” regardless of whether a suspect has been arrested for an offence endangering national security because of the items.
According to local news outlet Hong Kong Free Press, the amendment, which is believed to be disclosed today, also applies to “foreign agents” in Hong Kong, with prison time ranging from six months to one year.
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“Foreign agents” are people who act on behalf of a foreign government, political party, or international organization in Hong Kong.
In a statement, the government says that the amendment to Hong Kong’s National Security Law serves to safeguard national security in “the current complex and volatile geopolitical situation.”
“Law-abiding persons will not contravene the law inadvertently. The Amendment Rules will not affect the lives of the general public and the normal operation of institutions and organizations,” a government spokesperson adds.
Hong Kong’s National Security Law was introduced in 2020 in response to massive pro-democracy protests the year before. Lawmakers say the law was implemented to fight terrorism. Critics, on the other hand, argue that the law was designed to squash any dissent against the government.
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