The Council of Agriculture (COA) would consider ways to help farmers seek compensation for losses due to misinformation, in addition to levying fines on those spreading rumors, council Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) said yesterday.
Over the past two years, the agriculture sector has faced escalating assaults in the form of misinformation spread through domestic and overseas channels, the main purpose of which is to “beat down the government,” Chen told a meeting of the legislature’s Economics Committee to combat misinformation.
A council report cited rumors that banana and pineapple prices have plunged and that African swine fever has infected the nation as examples of recurring misinformation campaigns.
The council has proposed draft amendments to the Agricultural Products Market Transaction Act (農產品市場交易法) and the Food Administration Act (糧食管理法) that would impose a fine of between NT$60,000 and NT$300,000 for spreading rumors, which have been approved by the Executive Yuan in December last year, Chen said.
Asked if he thought the maximum fine was sufficient to curb the spread of misinformation, Chen said the amount was set by the Executive Yuan, but the council would support raising the fine if lawmakers launch such a proposal.
The Ministry of Justice would pay more attention to politically motivated misinformation and has proposed amendments to the Criminal Code that would raise the penalty spreading rumors through mass media and online platforms, Deputy Minister of Justice Tsai Pi-chung (蔡碧仲) said, adding that the proposal is pending Executive Yuan review.
However, imposing fines alone might not be enough, Tsai said, suggesting that people affected by misinformation should consider seeking compensation based on the Civil Code.
Chen backed Tsai’s statement, saying the council would deliberate how to help farmers affected by misinformation file class-action lawsuits and seek civil compensation.
Chen also apologized to New Power Party Legislator Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), after other council officials misidentified Huang’s inquiry at the legislature over the welfare of sniffer dog handlers as stemming from misinformation.
The subject of Huang’s inquiry was from a document the council sent to the committee’s lawmakers, he said.
Huang accepted Chen’s apology, but reminded him to watch out for “backstabbers” in the council that might try to defeat Chen’s efforts to fight misinformation.
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