New Zealand tells travellers to hand over passwords or pay the price

Possible prosecution and fines may be imposed on travellers entering New Zealand who refuse to disclose passwords for their digital devices.

Katina Michael, a professor at the University of Wollongong in Australia who specializes in surveillance issues, said most countries’ laws allowed officials to confiscate devices, often for a period of weeks, if passwords were not provided or illegal activity was suspected. But she said the new fines in New Zealand added a “scare factor” to pressure people, who often do not know their rights when entering a new country, to hand over their codes.

“Many of us are carrying competitive data, industry data, intelligence information or intellectual property, as well as personal items, on our phones,” she said. “Smartphones have become an extension of our very selves.”

Citation: Charlotte Graham Mclay, October 3, 2018, New Zealand tells travellers to hand over passwords or pay the price, SBS, https://www.sbs.com.au/news/new-zealand-tells-travellers-to-hand-over-passwords-or-pay-the-price