Hotel and restaurant owners would be required to regularly search their premises for hidden cameras under a law proposed by PFP and DPP legislators yesterday.
"We must do something," the PFP's Li Yong-ping (李永萍) said at a press conference to promote the passage of the Unauthorized Filming Prevention Law (偷拍防制法).
"Hidden cameras are more and more advanced nowadays. You cannot imagine how small they can be and where they will be.
"Unfortunately, we don't have a law to protect innocent people who might become the main characters in videos shot by hidden camera."
The new law would require the owners of locations frequented by the public, such as restaurants, hotels and shops, to carry out regular security checks and search for hidden cameras seruptitiously mounted by voyeurs.
According to the new law, owners who fail to provide records of these security checks to the government could be fined from NT$60,000 to NT$300,000.
Li said that voyeurism was proliferating in Taiwan, especially following the sex-VCD scandal involving New Party politician Chu Mei-feng (
Some voyeurs even sell videos of what they secretly shoot in public, she said.
Innocent men or women are increasingly becoming victims to the voyeurs, who shoot videos without their consent, violating their privacy and human rights, Li said.
Asked why the owners of places such as restaurants and hotels were the main "targets" of the new law, Li said that given the level of public activity at these establishments, they should be held responsible for protecting their customers' privacy.
"If they cooperate with law enforcement agencies, it will be a great help in protecting Taiwanese citizens' privacy and human rights," she said.
According to Pang Chien-kuo (龐建國), another PFP lawmaker, the Home and Nations Committee had been discussing the matter and trying to find a solution by amending the Architecture Law (建築法). This law could be used to require property owners to check their premises for hidden cameras when they apply for licenses or convert private dwellings into commercial property, Pang said.
"We finally decided to make a new law for this problem exclusively," said Pang. "We need a detailed regulation, which cannot be achieved by simply amending the Architecture Law."
He added that it was up to government and property-owners to provide customers with a safe environment.
The task force promoting the law also includes PFP lawmakers Chao Liang-yen (
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
South Korea is planning to revise its controversial electronic arrival card, a step Taiwanese officials said prompted them to hold off on planned retaliatory measures, a South Korean media report said yesterday. A Yonhap News Agency report said that the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs is planning to remove the “previous departure place” and “next destination” fields from its e-arrival card system. The plan, reached after interagency consultations, is under review and aims to simplify entry procedures and align the electronic form with the paper version, a South Korean ministry official said. The fields — which appeared only on the electronic form
RSS