This week, the New Zealand Customs Service received new powers, including the ability to demand passwords from travellers to search their electronic devices if they are suspected of committing a customs offence.
Travellers who fail to hand over passwords to their phones and tablets will be hit with a fine of NZ$5’000.-
Source: South China Morning Post 3.10.2018
Customs officers around the world have always been able to search a passenger’s laptop, phone or confiscate it. Probably New Zealand is just the beginning and other countries will follow.