Due to concerns over the violent incidents in Kaohsiung allegedly inspired by Web celebrity Allen Lien (連千毅), the government sent Criminal Investigation Bureau Commissioner Huang Ming-chao (黃明昭) to the city to handle the case, drawing criticism from Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) and his supporters, who said the government was using dirty campaign tricks against him.
Putting aside the issue of whether it was necessary for the central government to step in after Lien caused trouble in Kaohsiung for three days, Internet celebrities and online streamers can incite crowds to gather and cause disturbances.
Using online platforms such as the Facebook group “Baoliao Commune” (爆料公社), they are using selective broadcasts to denounce the central government and, in particular, the police for either not doing enough or handling the matter the wrongly.
By arousing their audience’s discontent, they can incite a mass incident at any time. This is a problem the government must not ignore. As Internet technology continues to develop, the high accessibility and low cost of social media have completely changed the media ecosystem.
Lien has only recently become a well-known figure, but Holger Chen (陳之漢) has long been one of Taiwan’s most influential Web celebrities. Chen’s streaming career, launched in 2014, has grown so fast in five years that he can shake every political party.
Before the nine-in-one elections on Nov. 24 last year, candidates such as Han, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) New Taipei City mayoral candidate Hou You-yi (侯友宜) all took part in his live broadcasts.
During the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential primary this year, DPP Chairman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and former premier William Lai (賴清德) also appeared on his online show, the Ministry of National Defense invited him as a celebrity endorser to its TV show and even President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) met with him.
However, they all looked small next to Chen, a fitness- coach-turned-Web-celebrity, putting up a smiling face despite Chen’s use of foul language.
As Chen takes advantage of his connections with influential politicians, they also approach him for a reason. If they want to win elections, they need to control the most effective communication tools, as these can change not only our lifestyles but also our political choices. Popular streamers can easily attract tens of thousands of viewers to watch their shows, or receive more than a million hits for an episode.
As a result, they have a stronger voice in society and ignore law and authority, acting more arrogantly by the day. This is the cause of the chaos that Lien created and the bullying of another streamer, Wu Hsiao-che (吳小哲), whose rivals allegedly broke his arms and legs after kidnapping him in Pingtung County.
Web celebrities are a product of the Internet era, and the purpose of what they say and do is to attract attention.
Taiwan is politically deeply divided. While political talk shows on traditional media are regulated by journalism ethics and the laws, online streamers enjoy a greater freedom of speech, as live streaming does not need government approval.
The National Communications Commission should draw up a code of conduct and principles for interaction between platform operators and online streamers, and strengthen streaming management.
Online criminal behavior, whether threats, slander or actual crimes extended from the Internet into society, should be investigated by police in a timely manner. It should not allow these problems to grow further.
Sandy Yeh is secretary-general of the Asian Association of Police Studies.
Translated by Eddy Chang
The conflict in the Middle East has been disrupting financial markets, raising concerns about rising inflationary pressures and global economic growth. One market that some investors are particularly worried about has not been heavily covered in the news: the private credit market. Even before the joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, global capital markets had faced growing structural pressure — the deteriorating funding conditions in the private credit market. The private credit market is where companies borrow funds directly from nonbank financial institutions such as asset management companies, insurance companies and private lending platforms. Its popularity has risen since
The Donald Trump administration’s approach to China broadly, and to cross-Strait relations in particular, remains a conundrum. The 2025 US National Security Strategy prioritized the defense of Taiwan in a way that surprised some observers of the Trump administration: “Deterring a conflict over Taiwan, ideally by preserving military overmatch, is a priority.” Two months later, Taiwan went entirely unmentioned in the US National Defense Strategy, as did military overmatch vis-a-vis China, giving renewed cause for concern. How to interpret these varying statements remains an open question. In both documents, the Indo-Pacific is listed as a second priority behind homeland defense and
In an op-ed published in Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) said that Taiwan should not have to choose between aligning with Beijing or Washington, and advocated for cooperation with Beijing under the so-called “1992 consensus” as a form of “strategic ambiguity.” However, Cheng has either misunderstood the geopolitical reality and chosen appeasement, or is trying to fool an international audience with her doublespeak; nonetheless, it risks sending the wrong message to Taiwan’s democratic allies and partners. Cheng stressed that “Taiwan does not have to choose,” as while Beijing and Washington compete, Taiwan is strongest when
US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng (何立峰) are expected to meet this month in Paris to prepare for a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). According to media reports, the two sides would discuss issues such as the potential purchase of Boeing aircraft by China, increasing imports of US soybeans and the latest impacts of Trump’s reciprocal tariffs. However, recent US military action against Iran has added uncertainty to the Trump-Xi summit. Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) called the joint US-Israeli airstrikes and the
RSS