New National Security Rules Allow HK Police to Demand Phone Passwords

Mon Mar 23 2026 11:48:38 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Hong Kong police can now compel individuals to provide phone and computer passwords, part of new amendments to the National Security Law. Refusal could lead to significant penalties.

In a concerning development, Hong Kong police are now authorized to demand passwords for electronic devices from individuals suspected of violating the National Security Law (NSL). This amendment, implemented through new bylaw changes, poses possible jail time and fines for non-compliance. Critics argue that these laws risk stifling dissent and infringing on individual rights. The NSL, introduced in 2020, has already led to widespread arrests and is viewed by many as a tool for authoritarian control.

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.

This change comes as part of new amendments to a bylaw under the NSL that were gazetted on Monday.

The NSL was introduced in Hong Kong in 2020, following massive pro-democracy protests. Authorities assert that the law targets terrorism and secession and is necessary for stability, while critics contend it is used to suppress dissent.

The new amendments also grant customs officials power to seize items deemed to have seditious intent.

According to Hong Kong authorities, these changes aim to ensure that activities endangering national security can be effectively prevented, suppressed, and punished, while also protecting the lawful rights and interests of individuals and organizations.

The announcement of the new bylaw amendments was made by the city’s leader, John Lee, without the involvement of the legislative council.

While law enforcement in many countries can demand access to electronic devices during investigations, the NSL encompasses a broad array of vaguely defined offenses, ranging from secession and subversion to terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.

The NSL also permits certain trials to occur behind closed doors.

Since the introduction of the NSL, hundreds of protesters, activists, and former opposition lawmakers have been arrested.

For instance, in February, the father of a pro-democracy activist was jailed for attempting to access her insurance policy under a law that expands on the NSL. Media tycoon Jimmy Lai was also sentenced to 20 years in jail after being convicted of foreign collusion and publishing seditious material under the same law.