If you’re traveling to or even through Hong Kong, this is at least something to be aware of (thanks to @istrakhov for flagging this)…
In this post:
Hong Kong implements strict new electronics search law
The United States Department of State has warned Americans about new rules that have just been implemented in Hong Kong, related to the National Security Law. Specifically, it’s now a criminal offense to refuse to give Hong Kong police the passwords or decryption assistance to access all personal electronic devices, including mobile phones and laptops.
This legal change applies to everyone in Hong Kong, including those arriving at or even just transiting Hong Kong International Airport (HKG). Furthermore, the Hong Kong government also has more authority to take and keep any personal devices, as evidence, that they claim are linked to national security offenses.
China has increasingly restricted freedom of speech in Hong Kong in recent years, with things really changing in 2019. Odds are that this would only be used in very targeted ways, and only for those that the government of China may view as problematic. But still, it’s something to be aware of, especially in the context of a global airline hub.
I think the wildest aspect of this policy is that it even applies to those in transit. So that means even if you don’t actually enter Hong Kong, you could still be forced to share the passwords of your devices, or face legal consequences.
How does this compare to the law in the United States?
Many people are pointing out that there’s a certain irony to the Department of State under the current administration warning of the possibility of invasive searches of electronics, given what we’ve seen at our own borders, and beyond.
However, there’s a bit more nuance to this in the United States. Yes, we’ve seen an increase in the number of electronics being searched at the border, and United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can request passwords for electronics from arriving passengers.
If you refuse to cooperate, though, you’re not going to potentially go to jail for that:
- If you’re a foreigner, you can be denied entry to the United States for refusing to share log-in details for your electronics
- If you’re a United States citizen, you won’t be denied entry to the United States based on CBP’s inability to search your devices, though the devices may be subject to exclusion or detention
So that’s still a bit different than potentially facing prosecution for not providing the passwords for your electronics.
Bottom line
Hong Kong’s National Security Law has been updated, and it’s now a legal requirement to provide police with access to all electronics, including passwords. This includes transit passengers at Hong Kong Airport, and refusing to do so could result in prosecution.
This is one of the more extreme policies you’ll find out there, and I imagine this will only be used in a very targeted way.
Would this new rule impact your willingness to travel to or through Hong Kong?
It's incredible that Ben is surprised a law applies to people in international transit. That is the case for laws that don't have to do with border control in every airport in the world - what law did you think applies in them? None?
As for the law itself as others have pointed out it requires a warrant and beyond that it only applies to investigations for national security offenses - in other words, this...
It's incredible that Ben is surprised a law applies to people in international transit. That is the case for laws that don't have to do with border control in every airport in the world - what law did you think applies in them? None?
As for the law itself as others have pointed out it requires a warrant and beyond that it only applies to investigations for national security offenses - in other words, this isn't being applied to random travelers. The nuance has been completely lost on the US government though that wants to cast stones living in a glass house of its own ridiculous and expanding powers - as well as on the media that blindly follow its spin on things.
"If you’re a foreigner, you can be denied entry to the United States for refusing to share log-in details for your electronics"
Not exactly / only. We've seen examples and know it's CBP policy to use punitive detention (and for Americans unaware, many US jail policies and procedures are considered torture in the free world). You might just get denied entry, Ben, but you might get put in the terrible no-regulations private-profit holding facility for...
"If you’re a foreigner, you can be denied entry to the United States for refusing to share log-in details for your electronics"
Not exactly / only. We've seen examples and know it's CBP policy to use punitive detention (and for Americans unaware, many US jail policies and procedures are considered torture in the free world). You might just get denied entry, Ben, but you might get put in the terrible no-regulations private-profit holding facility for a few days AND then deported and possibly go on the list of folks who need a visa to try again (no longer eligible for ESTA). The maga DHS is not known for its even-handedness. If you're not-white, good chance the HKG border police are more fair to you than the US version.
HK is being assimilated into the PRC - sad, but not unexpected.
That said, as many pointed out, similar laws exist in Europe. US as of today.. don't get me started. So the concern here is the application of the law, rather than the law itself. The laws themselves are very troubling, whether in the UK, US, Australia or in China, but that's a separate conversation.
As far as application of the law -...
HK is being assimilated into the PRC - sad, but not unexpected.
That said, as many pointed out, similar laws exist in Europe. US as of today.. don't get me started. So the concern here is the application of the law, rather than the law itself. The laws themselves are very troubling, whether in the UK, US, Australia or in China, but that's a separate conversation.
As far as application of the law - I don't think an average traveller to HK has anything to worry about. The probability of the HK police getting interested in you is less than the probability of your plane crashing - or being shot down - on the way to HK.
People who may be of interest to Chinese government know that - and shouldn't enter Chinese airspace, period. Back in the 70s, prominent defectors from the Soviet Union knew not to take flights that went through the Soviet airspace - same here.
Not great, not new, not a significant travel issue.
People tend to not remember history, as it was exactly opposite of what you described. An education under propaganda - sad, but not unexpected.
HK was part of PRC and assimilated into the imperialist British Empire.
HK was never part of PRC before the handover from the Brits. The PRC was established in 1949. British rule was established over a century prior to this. Your education is clearly an education under propaganda- sad but not unexpected
Once again Eskimo, proves what an utter ignoramous he is. Eskimo posts “People tend to not remember history”, clearly, Eskimo has absolutely no knowledge of the history of Hong Kong and even less about the British Empire. Trolling is its only claim to fame and that it performs poorly too.
Why am I not surprised at a British Imperialist defending the wrong side of history - HK was always part of China, even if it wasn't part of the PRC. Maybe try learning history sometime.
"British rule was established over a century prior to this."
-Yeah after forcibly importing opium into China and taking over HK by war. Who is the propagandist now? Crawl back into your hole and read up on some history before you open your mouth.
Changing one’s login doesn’t change one’s ignorance Eskimo …. :-)
HK was part of China before the Brits came. The Brits forcefully took HK by war, which started because of their opium trade being banned. Learn history. The Brits were the ones doing shit.
Still very much true for defectors from Russia and Belarus.
https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/belarusian-government-officials-charged-aircraft-piracy-diverting-ryanair-flight-4978-arrest
I applaud our fearless leaders on their bold stance protecting our security… (now, please let me connect to my onward destination…)
Why not take some time to stop off in HK. Look, listen and learn from some very interesting people. Delve into some very ancient history and fascinating cultures. Eat real Asian food and learn to live life in HK, not just use it as a stepping stone to another U.S. dominated destination.
Before yes, now not so much. I was born there before you start telling me I'm a white American. I literally don't know anyone there now under the age of 60 who is happy with life there because of the Chinese rule. While those over 60 are scared to even express their opinion though that is classic boomer Hong kongers. I knew we would get to this point. I was hoping for a few more...
Before yes, now not so much. I was born there before you start telling me I'm a white American. I literally don't know anyone there now under the age of 60 who is happy with life there because of the Chinese rule. While those over 60 are scared to even express their opinion though that is classic boomer Hong kongers. I knew we would get to this point. I was hoping for a few more trips to Hong Kong but deep down I knew I had already made my last trip to my once home. HK will never be what it was again.
Bob, in all sincerity, I feel your pain at the loss of your childhood HK. My childhood feelings for it are strongly embedded in my memory.
The run down onto the Kai Tak runway was always a magical experience as a child. Later, I topped off a childhood ambition by dropping a Fat Albert onto runway 13, after the Captain aborted his landing due to weather. I was his straight out of Cranwell sprog...
Bob, in all sincerity, I feel your pain at the loss of your childhood HK. My childhood feelings for it are strongly embedded in my memory.
The run down onto the Kai Tak runway was always a magical experience as a child. Later, I topped off a childhood ambition by dropping a Fat Albert onto runway 13, after the Captain aborted his landing due to weather. I was his straight out of Cranwell sprog co-pilot, later his very close friend. On numerous occasions in the mess he would recount the landing with pride not malice. I was no longer his ‘sprog’.
Yes, HK and 13, will always be very dear to me. Luckily, I am still able to return and remember the good old days.
Stories like this only serve to cause the uneducated, ostrich like flying proletariat to burry their heads deeper into the sand Ben. More will only choose to fly U.S. domestic airlines, within the domestic sphere of influence and allow the real world to pass them by untroubled.
Ben, do you not have a policy of deleting comments from those impersonating other users? The real Aero is a Diamond member.
Now, now Jack. Why do some people believe that others should fuss about logging in before they post?
Ben, publishes click-bait articles and I oblige by posting click-bait comments …. you have been kind enough to respond to both of us …. Yes?
The hypocrisy here is the five eyes and zion doesn't even need to ask for passwords. They already are capable of hacking into anything without your knowledge.
At least with HK, you know you're forced under duress.
That’s… what Xi said.
It's "a bit different", but only a bit.
To echo some comments below, the law is indeed more nuanced than what was written. Except under “extreme, exceptional” circumstances, the police has to get a court warrant to search phones.
While I'm skeptical of both the government's intention and the real impact of the law, let's come back in one year and see how many people actually have their phones searched..
Get ready for every incident to unironically be deemed “extreme, exceptional”…
“So that’s still a bit different than potentially facing prosecution for not providing the passwords for your electronics.”
The webpage linked to in the post says CBP “may take appropriate law enforcement actions”. Does that mean that prosecutions/jail are 100% ruled out? Are you a lawyer?
ps in the US a foreigner may be denied entry and imprisoned in a concentration camp for months for not disclosing passwords.
Incorrect. US doesn’t imprison. They may deny entry and make you fly home. Also there’s no concentration camps. Clearly a zero T commenter.
Isn't Guantanamo exactly such a camp? Not saying that US border officers are actively sending people there for not disclosing their Facebook passwords, but there does seem to be the infrastructure in place for that!
There are dozens of reports of western visitors being destined for weeks. They are concentration camps. They incarcerate children there. Look up Guantanamo.
And the point is the US government mandates exactly the same as Hong Kong. They only want aryan trump supporters
Typical delusional MAGA.
US Citizens have been locked up for failure to produce a US passport while on US soil. See the ProPublica article dated October 16 2025.
The US government doesn’t understand irony here. Bunch of clown US Americans are. Their Christian fascist government does precisely the same. Visa ESTA applications require disclosure to of several years social media history.
Nice “both sides”-ism.
I happen to agree. We humans are screwing up, here, there, many places. Wish we’d treat each other better than this.
I guess I’ll never experience Cathay Pacific or the HKG lounges. Not worth the risks.
Applying this to transit-only passengers is dumb. But that’s what you get under communist rule.
It’s actually something closer to a fascist dictatorship organised around a personality cult at this stage, much like the DPRK.
Of course you refer to the USA.
You mean the maga regime, I take it?
Sensationalist rubbish. The actual position is much more nuanced (but wouldn’t make as good a story would it?):
“It is not until legal authorisation to search an electronic equipment has been obtained that police can really require a specified person to provide the password or decryption method of the electronic equipment,” he stressed. “There is no case in which police can randomly ask ordinary citizens on the street for their electronic devices, such as their...
Sensationalist rubbish. The actual position is much more nuanced (but wouldn’t make as good a story would it?):
“It is not until legal authorisation to search an electronic equipment has been obtained that police can really require a specified person to provide the password or decryption method of the electronic equipment,” he stressed. “There is no case in which police can randomly ask ordinary citizens on the street for their electronic devices, such as their mobile phones and their password.” The spokesman stressed that the revised rules were in line with the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution, and its Bill of Rights, adding many common law jurisdictions also authorised law enforcement officers to require the provision of decryption methods of electronic equipment during investigations and evidence gathering.
Fake news
If you're not going to China or Hong Kong or Macau, it is not necessary to transit HKG. Just transit on EVA Air, Starlux, China Airlines (through Taiwan), Singapore Airlines, etc.
There are actually many countries with such a "key disclosure law" that compels the disclosure of a password or decryption key under pain of criminal prosecution, with Australia, France, and the UK being examples. Of course, there's a point about the likelihood of HK to abuse this law compared to those countries, but just from a standpoint of whether its existence should give you pause, you may be travelling through many Western countries with a...
There are actually many countries with such a "key disclosure law" that compels the disclosure of a password or decryption key under pain of criminal prosecution, with Australia, France, and the UK being examples. Of course, there's a point about the likelihood of HK to abuse this law compared to those countries, but just from a standpoint of whether its existence should give you pause, you may be travelling through many Western countries with a similar law without realizing.
Burner phones and burner laptops. Or boycott Cathay Pacific.
Sum Ting Wong?? Lol
Boomer humor
That’s really funny!
Now do a black person, or a Jewish person!
What is not clear is if this applies to all potential crimes or only to national security offences. Not good in any case but less concerning if so. However, the government now tends to classify everything they dont like as national security
It is in fact extremely clear that it only applies to national security offences. It was gazetted as part of the implementation regulations for the national security law, not for any other offence. And if that law were something to worry about for random travelers, a lot more would have been grabbed for different reasons even without the desire to open their phones whereas the people who have been investigated and prosecuted for this are...
It is in fact extremely clear that it only applies to national security offences. It was gazetted as part of the implementation regulations for the national security law, not for any other offence. And if that law were something to worry about for random travelers, a lot more would have been grabbed for different reasons even without the desire to open their phones whereas the people who have been investigated and prosecuted for this are people who live in and have been politically active in HK.
Disappointing news, but I assume this was already the policy for mainland China so it’s not surprising. Won’t change my plans to visit in September, but it will be something that gives me pause.
Time to search Samar’s phone, thoroughly!
*bam bam bam* “OPEN UP!!!” *bam bam* “EXTREME, EXCEPTIONAL NATIONAL
SECURITY BREACH!!” *BAM* “HE’S RESISTING!”
I mean if photos of my dog are a security breach, maybe I should cancel the trip…