Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan (陳定南) yesterday said that Internet spammers would be fined if they continued to send junk e-mails without permission.
"Many people, including myself, have been bothered by junk mail," Chen told reporters at a press conference. "We hope that the right to say `no' can be protected."
Chen also said that the ministry has amended Article 22-2 of the Law for the Protection of Computer-managed Personal Information (
According to the amendment, Internet junk mail senders must ask for the recipients' authorization the first time correspondence is sent before sending any more e-mails. If the recipient refuses, junk mail senders who continue to send correspondence would be subject to a fine of between NT$20,000 and NT$200,000.
For junk e-mail that has no identification or return e-mail addresses, the Internet service providers (ISP) would be responsible for providing contact information if requested by customers.
Chen said that the amendment would not necessarily adversely affect e-commerce. The spirit of the amendment is to reserve a right for Internet surfers to decline junk mail, he said
"Actually, junk mail may not be turned down by every Internet user," Chen said. "Some of them do enjoy receiving the latest information about different products. Under this circumstance, both the junk mail sender and the recipient will be happy."
Chen also said that local banks or credit card companies could be leaking customers' personal information to junk mail message senders.
"In addition to amending the law, prosecutors are also trying to figure out who is selling and leaking information," he said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
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“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
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