Don’t want New Zealand officials to get into your phone? Pay up to NZ$5,000
New Zealand privacy activists have raised concerns over a new law that imposes a fine of up to NZ$5,000 (more than $3,200) for travelers—citizens and foreigners alike—who decline to unlock their digital devices when entering the country. (Presumably your phone would be seized anyway if it came to that.)
The Southern Pacific nation is believed to be the first in the world to impose such a law.
According to the Customs and Excise Act of 2018, which took effect on October 1, travelers must comply if officials believe there is a "reasonable cause." The law does not spell out exactly what that means, nor does it provide a means for individuals to challenge this assessment. NZ authorities are only to search data locally held on the device and not in cloud storage.
