Visiting New Zealand? Their Government Will Need You Phone Password.

[Doc Reeves 6434]

If you are dumb enough to bring your personal phone and not a travel burner, I suppose this could be a problem.

Delete those dick pics fellas:

 

Under the Customs and Excise Act 2018, which came into force this week, officials will be able to demand travelers unlock any electronic device so it can be searched. Anyone who refuses can face prosecution and a fine of up to $3,200 (5,000 NZD).

Officials can also retain devices and potentially confiscate them from travelers who refuse to allow a search at the border.

The New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties (CCL) described the new law as a "grave invasion of personal privacy of both the person who owns the device and the people they have communicated with."

"Modern smartphones contain a large amount of highly sensitive private information including emails, letters, medical records, personal photos, and very personal photos," the group's chairman Thomas Beagle said in a statement.

"The reality of this law is that it gives Customs the power to take and force the unlock of peoples smartphones without justification or appeal — and this is exactly what Customs has always wanted."

Privacy Foundation New Zealand said members had expressed concern to the government during the consultation process about the retention of passwords by border officials and the safeguards on searches of devices.

A spokeswoman for New Zealand Customs said the change to the law was necessary as "the shift from paper-based systems to electronic systems has meant that the majority of prohibited material and documents are now stored electronically............

[Incredulity 11861]

Really confused about the why.

This from the article sums it up.

"Any professional criminal could easily store their data on the internet, travel with a wiped phone, and restore it once they enter the country," the CCL statement said. "Any criminal who fails to do this would surely pay (a $3,200) fine rather than reveal evidence relating to crimes that might involve jail time."

[conVINCEd 21477]

11 minutes ago, Doc Reeves said:

"Modern smartphones contain a large amount of highly sensitive private information including emails, letters, medical records, personal photos, and very personal photos”

Go on

[PilotsError 2339]

They can go fuck themselves and I hope terrible things happen to everyone involved in this decision.

 

 

[PilotsError 2339]

And fuck any tourist or visitor who visits there, even with a burner.

[elfenix 34658]

My county (Harris) is bigger than New Zealand, therefore, New Zealand isn't a real country.

 

 

[You don't know me 1163]

31 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

Go on

very very personal photos

[gecko 1104]

Was flying home from Germany on Saturday.  At departure area I had to have all my bags rescreened.  Security guy picked my phone out of the tray and asked if it was mine (well. duh it's with all my stuff).  He then asked if there was a passcode on it.  I said, "yes, company phone with mandatory passcode".  He just said "ok" and put it back in the tray.  I was a ready for next question but it never came....

[texfan11 95]

I wonder if this law will also apply to individuals only traveling domestically in NZ. I think this law is basically the rule in the US--except for the threat of fine and/or prosecution--US border agents can pretty much force you to unlock your phone or laptop unless you want the device confiscated.  

Ever since I heard the story about US CBP agents demanding that a NASA employee unlock his NASA-issued phone, I have wondered what you do if you are traveling with work devices that contain confidential information/any other information typically protected from disclosure (medical, legal, corporate, client info, etc.). I would not trust that any copy made of the devise is properly deleted and safe from security breaches. 

Edited October 3, 2018 by texfan11

[William_Cannon 86]

I work for an MNC and the US gives us the business more than any other country.

[pacman 7491]

Inhope they setup a website to publish any female photos they may find...

 

Great Government fundraiser 

[Deej 77676]

On 10/3/2018 at 1:26 PM, elfenix said:

My county (Harris) is bigger than New Zealand, therefore, New Zealand isn't a real country.

 

 

They are almost even in population. The country itself is roughly the size of Colorado.

New Zealand has 4.6 million people and 70 million sheep. God forbid aggy ever finds their way there.

[atomheartbevo 90550]

On 10/3/2018 at 2:34 PM, texfan11 said:

I wonder if this law will also apply to individuals only traveling domestically in NZ. I think this law is basically the rule in the US--except for the threat of fine and/or prosecution--US border agents can pretty much force you to unlock your phone or laptop unless you want the device confiscated.  

Ever since I heard the story about US CBP agents demanding that a NASA employee unlock his NASA-issued phone, I have wondered what you do if you are traveling with work devices that contain confidential information/any other information typically protected from disclosure (medical, legal, corporate, client info, etc.). I would not trust that any copy made of the devise is properly deleted and safe from security breaches. 

I saw this story going around (about New Zealand) on Facebook, and a bunch of friends/relatives had clearly never traveled outside of the US, and never realized that US CBP agents can (and do) search your electronic devices, or confiscate them and/or image them.

I worked for a large corporation several years ago, and we got so concerned with US CBP agents and their handling of our equipment, that we either sent pretty much blank laptops with fake admin accounts along with burner phones to satisfy them, or shipped laptops ahead, or used laptops already at the remote office (depending on the languages involved).

Oddly enough,, they never tried searching the laptop of one of our gay employees.   I don't know why.  His desktop background when he traveled was a photo of him kissing his boyfriend on the beach.   He would change it to something more neutral when he arrived wherever he was traveling to, so the only people who saw it was him and any CBP agent who asked him to turn on his laptop/login, but he said as soon as most of them saw the desktop, for some reason they gave it back to him and told him to go on his way.

I think a lot of people are shocked when they find out the hard way that US law enforcement can and do look through their phones, tablets, and laptops at the border/airport.  Far too few don't want to fight it, because who wants to be labeled as being for kiddie diddlers or drug cartels.

[Js1 86945]

22 hours ago, Deej said:

They are almost even in population. The country itself is roughly the size of Colorado.

New Zealand has 4.6 million people and 70 million sheep. God forbid aggy ever finds their way there.

Well, they'd have to get on one of them fancy air-o-planes and since they probably believe the Earth is flat, they're terrified they'd just fly off into space.

[Brisketexan 106629]

On 10/3/2018 at 2:34 PM, texfan11 said:

I think this law is basically the rule in the US--except for the threat of fine and/or prosecution--US border agents can pretty much force you to unlock your phone or laptop unless you want the device confiscated.  

Bingo.

And I DO travel with my personal device when I go international, as do some of my colleagues.  We are attorneys, our devices can be portals to privileged client info, emails, etc.  SO, the standard is this: if CBP demands your passcode, you refuse on the basis of atty client privilege.  If they insist on confiscating your device....let them.  We can buy you another phone.

The amount of basic liberty we are willing to give up for the illusion of security continues to amaze me.  I won't go full CR here.