The legislature passed an amendment to the Computer-Processed Personal Data Protection Act (電腦保護個人資料處理法) yesterday, exempting media from having to inform and seek consent from individuals before collecting and reporting personal information.
Legislators also agreed to change the title of the act to the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法).
Under the act, members of the media do not have to inform and obtain the consent of individuals before collecting or reporting their personal information when acting in the public interest.
“The Personal Data Protection Act has a very important spirit. That is, personal data should only be collected for specific purposes. Take the media, for instance. The information they collect should be used in news reports. The exemption will not apply to the marketing or sale of personal information,” said Chin Jeng-shyang (覃正祥), director of the Department of Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Justice, after the amendment was passed.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party jointly proposed that the legislature reconsider the amendment after it passed a second reading last week.
Under the original version, the media, political commentators or elected representatives would be required to inform and seek consent from individuals before collecting or published information about them, including their name, date of birth, ID number, occupation, medical records, genetic information and details about their sex life.
However, the bill came under fire from media organizations, which feared the new regulations could undermine freedom of the press.
On Thursday afternoon, the KMT caucus dropped its support for the bill and agreed to postpone its third reading, which had been scheduled to be held the next day.
The amendment that cleared the legislative floor yesterday stipulates that non-governmental organizations or individuals are allowed to search and collect generally accessible data about individuals when acting in the public interest.
In other words, Netizens who launch a campaign to identify individuals involved in violations such as animal abuse would not be considered violators.
Chin told reporters that the ministry would seek to establish a more thorough definition of unclear terms in the act, such as “public interest” or “generally accessible data” and decide how to regulate political commentators’ use and collection of personal data while protecting individual privacy.
The amendment also exempts people who post pictures or videos taken with friends or family during gatherings or at public places on Internet sites such as Facebook from having to obtain the consent of the individuals involved, as long as no other personal information is revealed.
Jason Ho (何吉森), director of the communications content department at the National Communications Commission, said yesterday the commission welcomed the legislature’s decision to exempt news media in the amended act.
Ho, however, said that defining the term “public interest” was difficult. He said the commission was more likely to consult the ministry when executing the act and would work on a case-by-case basis.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SHELLEY SHAN
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
BULLY TACTICS: Beijing has continued its incursions into Taiwan’s airspace even as Xi Jinping talked about Taiwan being part of the Chinese family and nation China should stop its coercion of Taiwan and respect mainstream public opinion in Taiwan about sovereignty if its expression of goodwill is genuine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday. Ministry spokesman Jeff Liu (劉永健) made the comment in response to media queries about a meeting between former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) the previous day. Ma voiced support for the so-called “1992 consensus,” while Xi said that although the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have “different systems,” this does not change the fact that they are “part of the same country,” and that “external
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source