'[New Zealand] Customs are seeking the power to require people to disclose passwords to their electronic devices when entering New Zealand.
Failing to do so without reasonable excuse should be an offence punishable with three months prison, it has suggested.
It said the power would be useful in helping detect objectionable material and evidence of other offending, such as drugs offences, as well as to verify people's travel plans.
The change is one of several canvassed in a discussion paper on a review of the Customs and Excise Act that was released by the department today.
Council for Civil Liberties spokesman Thomas Beagle said that under existing legislation, people could not be compelled to disclose passwords, but Customs had the right not to allow electronic devices to be brought into the country if people would not unlock them.
Beagle said he believed that was 'a good compromise'. It could not be assumed people would always have the passwords to encrypted files on their computers or smartphones, he said.
'They would be implying people couldn't travel with encrypted data at all if they didn't know the password for it.'
Read the article in full here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/66957924/customs-seeks-powers-to-disclose-passwords
Are these measures, to help ensure passengers with objectionable material or evidence of other offending, justified or does the proposed law change unnecessarily impact on the freedom of the majority? Should we feel ok about this, especially if we have nothing to hide, or is this a significant law change irrespective of what information our digital devices may hold?
Irrespective of where you live, what do you think?
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It is proposed that Customs officials should have the power to require people to disclose passwords to their electronic devices when entering our country