Hong Kong grants police power to demand phone and computer passwords

The new provisions allow police to seize items with ‘seditious intention’, bypassing judicial authorisations.Hong Kong Police are now empowered to require anyone suspected of violating the semi-autonomous city’s National Security Law to hand over passwords to their mobile phones or computers.Officials will brief lawmakers on the new provisions on Tuesday, ‌a government statement said. The measure, which took effect on Monday, is part of the National Security Law imposed by Beijing in 2020 following large, sometimes violent, pro-democracy protests in this Chinese territory.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Hong Kong begins national security trial for organisers of Tiananmen vigilslist 2 of 3Why is the UK’s Keir Starmer in China and what does he want to achieve?list 3 of 3China warns Panama as Hong Kong firm contests ruling on canal portsend of listHong Kong returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, but it retained a high degree of autonomy under the so-called “one country, two systems”. The move to curb rights following the 2020 protests has placed doubt on Hong Kong’s status as an international financial and business centre.The city government 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.Refusing to comply could lead to up to one year’s imprisonment and a fine of up to 100,000 Hong Kong dollars ($12,768), while providing ⁠false or misleading information could bring up to three years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to 500,000 Hong Kong dollars ($63,840).The new amendments empower police to require a person under investigation suspected of endangering national security to provide any password or decryption method for electronic devices and ⁠to provide the police “any reasonable and necessary information or assistance”.The imposition of the 2020 National Security Law, supplemented by a second component in 2024, has led to a marked decline in civil liberties in the former British colony returned to China in 1997, according to human rights advocates.