Telecommunications service providers will face fines of $1,000,000 if it refuses to release passwords, encryption and biometrics to the police, states the draft Police Bill 2020.
The Ministry of Defence is now seeking public submissions on the draft law before it goes to Cabinet endorsement and then to Parliament.
“It shall be the responsibility of the service provider of any telecommunication service or network to give unrestricted access to police and all due assistance upon demand.”
Police will be allowed to go to a service provider to demand password, encryption and biometric of any personal telecommunication device if a person refuses to reveal them to police.
“Any person or service provider on whom a demand was made for the purposes of this section shall comply forthwith without imposing any fees for facilitating such demand.
“Any person or service provider on whom a demand was made within the provisions of this section and who resists or fails to comply with such demand in full, commits an offence and shall be liable upon conviction to imprisonment for life or in case of a service provider, to a fine not exceeding $1,000,000.”
