New Hong Kong rules force people to give up passwords in security cases

People in Hong Kong will now face a year in jail if they refuse to give police their phone or computer passwords in investigations involving the city's strict national security law, the government said on Monday



The new rules apply to the implementation of Hong Kong's national security law, which was imposed by Beijing in 2020 after huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in the financial hub.



One of the amendments that came into effect on Monday requires people to provide "any password or other decryption method" necessary to allow police to access electronic equipment that is believed to hold evidence.



Anyone who fails to comply faces a year in prison and a fine of HK$100,00.