Although the government intends to toughen penalties for businesses and individuals leaking personal information, it might reject a proposal by key Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators which aims to dramatically increase punishment.
"The proposed seven-year sentence sounds awfully severe," said David Liu (劉佐國), a senior specialist at the Ministry of Justice's Department of Legal Affairs. "It's not only unfair to first-time offenders, it also goes against international practice."
While the ministry is aware of the DPP legislators' concerns, it may stick with its own amendments to the Computer-Processed Personal Data Protection Law (
DPP caucus whip Tsai Huang-liang (
"Heavier punishments always serve as a more effective deterrent," he said.
Tsai and two other DPP legislators, Chen Chao-lung (
The law presently protects only that personal information which is managed, processed, stored or distributed by computers, whereas the Cabinet's draft would cover all forms of personal information which could be deemed to be private and deserving of protection.
The punishment for those who leak personal information for commercial purposes would also be increased. While the current maximum sentence is a two-year jail term or a NT$40,000 fine, the draft would increase this to five years in jail or a NT$1 million fine.
China might accelerate its strategic actions toward Taiwan, the South China Sea and across the first island chain, after the US officially entered a military conflict with Iran, as Beijing would perceive Washington as incapable of fighting a two-front war, a military expert said yesterday. The US’ ongoing conflict with Iran is not merely an act of retaliation or a “delaying tactic,” but a strategic military campaign aimed at dismantling Tehran’s nuclear capabilities and reshaping the regional order in the Middle East, said National Defense University distinguished adjunct lecturer Holmes Liao (廖宏祥), former McDonnell Douglas Aerospace representative in Taiwan. If
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