‘Hidden gurus’ will be able to decrypt devices in Hong Kong national security cases

Hong Kong authorities will be able to demand external technicians or any “specified person” decrypt electronic devices during national security investigations and may punish suspects who provide wrong passwords or falsely claim to have forgotten them, the security chief has told lawmakers.Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung stressed on Tuesday that recent amendments to the national security law’s implementation rules did not create new law enforcement powers.“These amendments have only improved some procedures and how we work; there are absolutely no newly added powers,” Tang said.He and acting justice secretary Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan briefed lawmakers the day after the updated rules came into force via the government gazette.Lawmakers questioned provisions empowering police officers to request passwords for electronic devices or decryption methods, and to require a “specified person” to do so to exercise their search power.Secretary for Security, Chris Tang. Photo: Karma LoElizabeth Quat, a legislator from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, asked whether technicians – whom she called “hidden gurus” – working in computer shops could be called in to provide decryption services to police officers.