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NZ Customs Wants Power To Require Passwords

Posted by samzenpus on from the papers-please dept.

First time accepted submitter Orange Roughy writes New Zealand customs are seeking powers to obtain passwords and encryption keys for travelers. Supposedly they will only act to obtain credentials if it was acting on 'some intelligence or observation of abnormal behaviour.' People who refuse to hand over credentials could face up to three months jail time. From the story: "Customs boss Carolyn Tremain has told MPs the department would only request travellers hand over passwords to their electronic devices if it had a reason to be suspicious about what was on them. The department unleashed a furore last week when it said in a discussion paper that it should be given unrestricted power to force people to divulge passwords to their smartphones and computers at the border. That would be without Customs officials having to show they had any grounds for suspicion."

4 of 200 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Strong public relations by AmiMoJo · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It's even worse for business travellers. New Zealand is already known to do a lot of industrial spying as part of FIVE EYES.

    It's got to the point now where you have to wipe your laptop before travelling, then restore it when you get through customs. Same with your phone. Fortunately it is easy to do both those things these days.

    --
    const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  2. Re: Strong public relations by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Way to lay down in the street and die just because some with supposed authority asks you to.

    There's also a third solution: appear to be compliant while retaining your privacy.

  3. Re: Strong public relations by Sun · · Score: 4, Interesting

    No, it is not.

    It is a legitimate invocation of a core reason why Nazism was allowed to rule, despite most Germans being against it.

    Goodwin is more about "You do know that Hitler also washed his hands daily". Drawing an analogy that has nothing to do with Nazism.

    Shachar

  4. Re: Strong public relations by dargaud · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Or what if your work actually FORBIDS you to reveal your password to anyone, under various penalties ? I'd like to see a high US official pass through customs and watch a random rent-a-cop get his password and copy all his files. Right, like this is gonna happen.

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