New Zealand may fines travelers who won’t unlock secure devices
Visitors to New Zealand can be fined $5000 for refusing to provide passwords to unlock electronic devices and allow customs officials to examine them. The law came into effect on Oct. 1 as part of an update of 22-year-old customs legislation. It also gives customs officials the authority to copy data found on searched devices. New Zealand fines travelers
“The traveling public is unlikely to notice much difference at the border,” the New Zealand Customs Service said in a statement last week.
But the New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties said the law gives customs officials the power to force travelers to unlock their smartphones without justification, and without legal options for travelers to challenge an order to enter a password.
“Modern smartphones contain a large amount of highly sensitive private information including emails, letters, medical records, personal photos, and very personal photos,” council spokesman Thomas Beagle said in a statement.
“Allowing customs to be able to demand the right to examine and capture all this information is a grave invasion of personal privacy of both the person who owns the device and the people they have communicated with,” Beagle said.
Several other countries have similar laws New Zealand fines travelers
New Zealand is not the only country that has laws allowing customs officials to request passwords to unlock electronic devices and examine them. Several other countries have similar laws, including Australia, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
For example, in the United States, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials have the authority to search electronic devices at the border without a warrant, and they can request that travelers provide passwords to unlock their devices. Failure to comply with the request can result in the seizure of the device and a fine.
In the United Kingdom, customs officials also have the authority to search electronic devices, but they must have reasonable grounds to suspect that the person is involved in criminal activity. Failure to provide passwords or cooperate with the search can result in detention and seizure of the device.
Similarly, in Australia and Canada, customs officials can search electronic devices and request passwords, and failure to comply can result in fines or seizure of the device.
It’s important to note that the laws and policies regarding searches of electronic devices can vary by country and are subject to change. It’s always a good idea to research and understand the laws and policies of the country you are traveling to before you arrive and to be prepared to comply with any requests from customs officials.
