The Hong Kong government has defended its recent amendments to the Implementation Rules of the National Security Law (NSL), refuting criticism from the United States and other Western nations as a smear campaign marked by "double standards."

The amendments, which were gazetted and came into effect on March 23, were described as a necessary measure for the Special Administrative Region to fulfill its constitutional duty to safeguard national security and close institutional loopholes.

The government stated that Western forces have deliberately misinterpreted select provisions to mislead the public, such as police being able to require individuals to provide passwords for electronic devices and customs officers being empowered to confiscate items with seditious intent.

It argues that these critics intentionally omit the legal context, such as the requirement for police to first obtain a court warrant before demanding decryption assistance, thereby misrepresenting lawful enforcement as an infringement of liberty.

The authorities pointed to the hypocrisy of the criticism, noting that many common law jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United States, have similar laws granting authorities the power to compel decryption during investigations. 

The statement argues that for these countries to ignore their own practices while condemning Hong Kong's legal amendments reveals a clear political agenda to interfere in Hong Kong and China's internal affairs.

The government also criticized a Security Alert issued by the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong, which claimed that refusing to provide the government with passwords to personal mobile devices had been criminalized in Hong Kong.

This was a deliberate attempt to create panic and stigmatize the National Security Law under the guise of a reminder, the government stated. 

In response, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong lodged a formal protest, and several pro-establishment figures demonstrated outside the U.S. Consulate General.