A Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator yesterday alleged that instant messenger services provided by Yahoo-Kimo Inc, one of the nation's largest internet portals, has become the nation's largest platform for the sex trade.
"Many believe that Yahoo-Kimo has closed its chat rooms... but it fact, the chat rooms have been resurrected in another form and have become a platform for the sex trade," DPP Legislator Lee Chen-nan (李鎮楠) told a press conference yesterday.
The company replaced its public online chat rooms with more private-oriented chat rooms attached to its instant messenger software because of the abundant exchange of illegal information such as sex advertisements.
Same problems
However, the same problems persist as users can easily join each others chat rooms.
"There's no rating, no control and no categorization in these new chat rooms, people under 18 can easily access them and obtain inappropriate information," Lee said.
Lee showed the press conference screenshots took randomly from one of the Yahoo-Kimo chat rooms, which was filled with phrases hinting sexual exchanges or even giving prices.
Crossing the line
Officials who attended the press conference agreed that some of the information has crossed the line and vowed to increase efforts to combat the issue.
"The words that appeared in the Yahoo-Kimo chat rooms certainly are illegal ? [and] punishable by jail terms of up to five years," Kung Ling-kuo (
"We'll increase our efforts to fight undercover sex-related crimes, especially when underage people may become victims," Kung added.
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS