In response to rampant fraud in Taiwan, the Control Yuan on Thursday said it intended to impeach members of the Cabinet. The reaction of the Control Yuan and the Cabinet implied that they see anti-fraud activities as the domain of the Criminal Investigation Bureau and its “165” anti-fraud hotline, but anti-fraud activities cannot be handled by a hotline or the bureau alone.
Government streamlining means the bureau will have to make cutbacks, while ignoring the two main sources of fraud: personal information leaks and the integration of Internet and telecommunications services. Because of the government’s inability to integrate its resources to respond to these two key problem areas, police have been unable to deal efficiently with fraud. The police only respond to crimes — they cannot change policies or information management measures.
In April, I was informed that an online shopping site had problems protecting the personal information of its customers. In mid-June, 8,000 personal details were leaked from the EHS Web site. This was only discovered when a reporter gained access to the information by registering as a customer.
It was only then that many people who had received fraudulent or threatening telephone calls realized where the perpetrators had obtained their personal information.
It is very possible that millions of private details have been leaked on the Web, yet customers can do nothing because they may not even be aware that their information has been leaked.
Even though leaks of personal information are a main source of fraud, Taiwan has no authority in charge of closing down Web site operators guilty of this type of neglect. Instead, customers continue to shop at Web sites that leak their personal details and fraud continues.
The National Communications Commission (NCC) should be charged with overseeing the Internet, but because the Web never has been within its remit and because overseeing Web sites touches on commercial operations, information security and other areas not under its jurisdiction, it has been difficult for the NCC to take up the role as regulator.
The information industry’s gradual integration of information, communications, telecommunications and broadcasting complicates government oversight.
While criminals have increased flexibility in accessing information through integrated technology, government authorities ruled by a rigid framework of rules are still working independently of one another.
The government must speed up integration, lest it be unable to respond to fraud. For example, criminals suspected of fraud avoid being caught by using IP telephony to call from China or other countries, changing their caller ID to a government number or even 165 to foil investigators.
Unless the government designates an agency to oversee the Internet and get a handle on key sources of fraud, it will be difficult to resolve these problems, even if the number of police officers dealing with fraud is increased substantially. Criminals are constantly improving their technology and approaches.
The Cabinet should assist the NCC with integrating the concerned agencies to establish a mechanism for overseeing the Internet. Regulating the problems that are leading to massive leaks of personal information is a crucial first step to fighting fraud.
Yang Yung-nane is a professor of political science at National Cheng Kung University.
TRANSLATED BY PERRY SVENSSON
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
As Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s party won by a landslide in Sunday’s parliamentary election, it is a good time to take another look at recent developments in the Maldivian foreign policy. While Muizzu has been promoting his “Maldives First” policy, the agenda seems to have lost sight of a number of factors. Contemporary Maldivian policy serves as a stark illustration of how a blend of missteps in public posturing, populist agendas and inattentive leadership can lead to diplomatic setbacks and damage a country’s long-term foreign policy priorities. Over the past few months, Maldivian foreign policy has entangled itself in playing