A national security official yesterday cautioned against using the Chinese face-swapping app Quyan (去演), saying that the data it collects could be used for financial fraud or to create personal files for Chinese law enforcement.
The app, which has gained popularity among young Taiwanese, uses a photograph uploaded by the user to edit their face onto actors in television dramas, creating “deepfake” videos that make the user look like an actor in the series.
One user on Nov. 25 last year left a comment on the Apple App Store questioning the safety of using Quyan, saying that after registering, they discovered an unauthorized login using their smartphone’s information in China’s Zhejiang Province.
To sign up for the app, users must verify their e-mail address and upload a clear photograph of their face without wearing glasses or anything else that could obstruct the camera’s view of the user’s facial features.
To “protect image rights from fraudulent use,” it then requires the user to confirm that the photo is their own by instructing them to “blink, open your mouth and shake your head” in front of the camera.
Only after completing these steps does the app become available to use.
Quyan was developed by Shenzhen Xinguodu Intelligence Co (深圳新國度智能有限公司), also known as Nexgo, which creates hardware and software for processing electronic payments, including biometric services.
After conducting an investigation of the app, a national security official said it poses a “grave security threat,” especially as it requires facial recognition and e-mail verification to use.
The firm could sell the data it collects through Quyan for use with payment software, allowing payments to be made through facial recognition, they said.
By requiring e-mail confirmation, the app is able to obtain other personal information that could be used in conjunction with biometric data to make payments or obtain financial information, they added.
They also did not rule out that the data are being sent to Chinese law enforcement to create files on users.
The official advised people interested in using the app to exercise caution, especially if they link accounts to their e-mail, browse Chinese Web sites or express political opinions online.
The Chinese Communist Party has in the past few years been shifting its focus to young Taiwanese, they said, adding that apps such as Quyan allow the party to easily extract large amounts of data without the users ever stepping foot in China.
Reached for comment, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) called for a ban on Chinese apps that carry a security risk.
Public agencies are already banned from using Chinese-made apps, Executive Yuan Secretary-General Li Meng-yen (李孟諺) said.
However, he also vowed to raise public awareness of the risk of using Chinese apps.
After the new legislative session begins, the Executive Yuan would send a plan to establish a ministry of digital development to the legislature for review, he said, adding that the planned ministry would merge the disparate agencies that handle cybersecurity, privacy protection and other issues related to digital industries.
Additional reporting by Lu Yi-hsuan
Conflict with Taiwan could leave China with “massive economic disruption, catastrophic military losses, significant social unrest, and devastating sanctions,” a US think tank said in a report released on Monday. The German Marshall Fund released a report titled If China Attacks Taiwan: The Consequences for China of “Minor Conflict” and “Major War” Scenarios. The report details the “massive” economic, military, social and international costs to China in the event of a minor conflict or major war with Taiwan, estimating that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could sustain losses of more than half of its active-duty ground forces, including 100,000 troops. Understanding Chinese
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela, and would continue to cooperate with democratic allies and work together for regional and global security, stability, and prosperity. The remarks came after the US on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was later flown to New York along with his wife. The pair face US charges related to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied the allegations. The ministry said that it is closely monitoring the political and economic situation
‘SLICING METHOD’: In the event of a blockade, the China Coast Guard would intercept Taiwanese ships while its navy would seek to deter foreign intervention China’s military drills around Taiwan this week signaled potential strategies to cut the nation off from energy supplies and foreign military assistance, a US think tank report said. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted what it called “Justice Mission 2025” exercises from Monday to Tuesday in five maritime zones and airspace around Taiwan, calling them a warning to “Taiwanese independence” forces. In a report released on Wednesday, the Institute for the Study of War said the exercises effectively simulated blocking shipping routes to major port cities, including Kaohsiung, Keelung and Hualien. Taiwan would be highly vulnerable under such a blockade, because it
UNRELENTING: China attempted cyberattacks on Taiwan’s critical infrastructure 2.63 million times per day last year, up from 1.23 million in 2023, the NSB said China’s cyberarmy has long engaged in cyberattacks against Taiwan’s critical infrastructure, employing diverse and evolving tactics, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday, adding that cyberattacks on critical energy infrastructure last year increased 10-fold compared with the previous year. The NSB yesterday released a report titled Analysis on China’s Cyber Threats to Taiwan’s Critical Infrastructure in 2025, outlining the number of cyberattacks, major tactics and hacker groups. Taiwan’s national intelligence community identified a large number of cybersecurity incidents last year, the bureau said in a statement. China’s cyberarmy last year launched an average of 2.63 million intrusion attempts per day targeting Taiwan’s critical
RSS