10 Nov 2021

Detective on police trying to assume people's online identities

From Morning Report, 8:10 am on 10 November 2021

A police spokesperson says officers have been asking people to sign away their social media and email passwords for police use for almost 10 years.

RNZ has revealed police are trying to take over the online identities of suspects and defendants to gather intel by asking people sign a consent.

Detective Inspector Stuart Mills, from police's Intercept and Technology Operations, told Morning Report police have been using the form since 2012.

He said it's standard police practice worldwide to use this in child trafficking cases, but admits it is used in other cases too.

Lawyers have written to the police commissioner to protest at the practice.