香港警方根據新的國家安全法可要求提供手機密碼

Recently BBC news on-line reported the following:

HK police can now demand phone passwords under new national security rules

BBC - Martin Yip,Hong Kong and Kelly Ng

23 Mar 2026

Hong Kong police can now demand phone or computer passwords from those who are suspected of breaching the wide-ranging National Security Law (NSL).

Those who refuse could face up to a year in jail and a fine of up to HK$100,000 ($12,700; £9,600), and individuals who provide "false or misleading information" could face up to three years in jail.

It comes as part of new amendments to a bylaw under the NSL that the government gazetted on Monday.

The NSL was introduced in Hong Kong in 2020, in wake of massive pro-democracy protests the year before. Authorities say the laws, which target acts like terrorism and secession, are necessary for stability - but critics say they are tools to quash dissent.

The new amendments also give customs officials the power to seize items that they deem to "have seditious intention".

Monday's amendments ensure that "activities endangering national security can be effectively prevented, suppressed and punished, and at the same time the lawful rights and interests of individuals and organisations are adequately protected", Hong Kong authorities said on Monday.

Changes to the bylaw was announced by the city's leader, John Lee, bypassing the city's legislative council.

While law enforcement officials in many parts of the world have the authority to demand access to electronic devices as part of criminal investigations, the NSL covers a sweeping range of vaguely defined offences from secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with external forces.

The NSL also allows for some trials to be heard behind closed doors.

The city has seen the arrests of hundreds of protesters, activists and former opposition lawmakers since the introduction of the NSL.

In February, the father of pro-democracy activist in exile was jailed for trying to cash out her insurance policy, under a homegrown law that expands on the NSL.

Also in February, media tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in jail after being convicted of foreign collusion and publishing seditious material under the NSL.

Translation

香港警方根據新的國家安全法可要求提供手機密碼

香港警方現在可以要求涉嫌違反廣泛的《國家安全法》（NSL）的人士提供手機或電腦密碼。

拒絕提供密碼者最高可被判處一年監禁和10萬港元（約合12,700美元；9,600英鎊）罰款；提供「虛假或誤導性資訊」者最高可被判處三年監禁。

這是政府週一公佈的《國家安全法》細則修訂的一部分。

《國家安全法》於2020年在香港實施，此前一年爆發了大規模的民主抗議活動。當局稱，該法旨在打擊恐怖主義和分裂國家等行為，對維護社會穩定至關重要；但批評者則認為，該法是鎮壓異議的工具。

新修訂的條例還賦予海關官員權力，可以扣押他們認為「具有煽動意圖」的物品。

香港當局週一表示，星期一的修訂確保「危害國家安全的活動能夠得到有效預防、制止和懲處，同時個人和組織的合法權益得到充分保障」。

香港特首李家超繞過立法會，直接宣佈了這項條例的修改。

雖然世界許多地區的執法人員有權在刑事調查中要求查閱電子設備，但《國家安全法》涵蓋的罪行範圍廣泛，定義模糊，包括分裂國家、顛覆國家政權、恐怖主義和勾結境外勢力等。

《國家安全法》也允許一些案件進行閉門審理。

自《國家安全法》實施以來，香港已有數百名示威者、活動人士和前反對派立法會議員被捕。

今年2月，一名流亡海外的民主活動人士的父親因試圖兌現其女兒的保險金而被判入獄，該罪名依據的是一項在《國家安全法》基礎上擴展的本土法律。

同樣在2月，傳媒大亨黎智英因觸犯《國家安全法》並出版煽動性資料而被判處20年監禁。

So, Hong Kong police can now demand phone or computer passwords from those who are suspected of breaching the wide-ranging NSL. While law enforcement officials in many parts of the world have similar authority to demand access to electronic devices as part of criminal investigations, the NSL covers a sweeping range of vaguely defined offences from secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with external forces. Furthermore, the NSL also allows for some trials to be heard behind closed doors.