Refusing to comply could lead to up to one year in jail and a hefty fine, while providing false or misleading information carries up to three years in prison
Hong Kong police can now demand that people suspected of breaching the city’s national security law provide mobile phone or computer passwords in a further crackdown on dissent.
The new amendments to the law also empower customs officers to seize items that are deemed to have “seditious intention”, regardless of whether any person has been arrested for an offence endangering national security because of the items.
Refusing to comply could lead to up to one year’s jail and a fine of up to HK$100,000 ($12,773) while providing false or misleading information could bring up to three years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to HK$500,000.
The city government on Monday gazetted the new amendments to the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020, using powers to bypass Hong Kong’s legislature. Officials will brief lawmakers on Tuesday, a government statement said.
