Police Get New Rights to Grab Digital Keys in Hong Kong

Hong Kong police can now force people suspected of breaking the national security law to give them phone or computer passwords. If someone refuses, they could face up to a year in jail and a fine of HK$100, 000. Giving wrong information could cost up to three years in prison and a fine of HK$500, 000. \\ The government announced these changes on Monday by putting them in a public notice, skipping the usual legislative debate. Lawmakers will hear about it on Tuesday. \\ The original national security law, introduced by Beijing in 2020, can punish actions like subversion or working with foreign forces with life imprisonment. It has drawn criticism from Western countries and human‑rights groups, but Hong Kong officials say it is needed to keep order after the 2019 protests. \\ Under the new rules, police can demand any password or decryption method from someone being investigated for national security threats. They also get the power to ask for “reasonable and necessary” help from the person. \\Customs officers also gain new authority. They can seize items that are considered to have “seditious intention, ” even if no one has been charged for a national security offence because of those items. \\ A UK law lecturer, Urania Chiu, argues that these powers hurt basic freedoms like privacy and the right to a fair trial. She says the rules give law‑enforcement too much power without court approval, which is not fair. \\ A Hong Kong spokesperson says the changes fit within the city’s constitution, called the Basic Law, and its human‑rights promises. They claim it will not affect everyday life or normal business operations. \\ So far, 386 people have been arrested for national security crimes in Hong Kong. Of those, 176 individuals and four companies have been convicted. The media owner Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison last month for collusion with foreign forces and sedition, sparking global backlash. \\ The new amendments aim to tighten control over digital information and items that could be used for political dissent, raising concerns about privacy and civil liberties. \\ (1 HK dollar equals 7. 8293 Hong Kong dollars)\\