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
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
PLUGGING HOLES: The amendments would bring the legislation in line with systems found in other countries such as Japan and the US, Legislator Chen Kuan-ting said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) has proposed amending national security legislation amid a spate of espionage cases. Potential gaps in security vetting procedures for personnel with access to sensitive information prompted him to propose the amendments, which would introduce changes to Article 14 of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), Chen said yesterday. The proposal, which aims to enhance interagency vetting procedures and reduce the risk of classified information leaks, would establish a comprehensive security clearance system in Taiwan, he said. The amendment would require character and loyalty checks for civil servants and intelligence personnel prior to
RSS