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| From this month, New Zealand's customs officials have enforced a tough new rule at airports. Yonhap |
By Jung Min-ho
New Zealand can now fine you up to $NZ5,000 ($3,200) if you refuse to give your phone or laptop passwords to customs officials at the country's border.
New Zealand's Customs and Excise Act 2018, which came into force early this month, allows customs officials to demand passwords for travelers' electronic devices.
Those who refuse to cooperate could face fines as well as prosecution and their devices could be confiscated.
But officials should have "reasonable cause" to suspect someone of breaching customs rules or of committing other crimes to demand a search.
The new law has triggered resistance from rights groups, which have expressed privacy concerns.
"Modern smartphones contain a large amount of highly sensitive private information including emails, letters, medical records, personal photos and very personal photos," said Thomas Beagle, the chairman of the NZ Council for Civil Liberties.
Local media reported that New Zealand border officials carried out 537 preliminary searches of devices last year.
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