The government is to propose a legislative amendment to impose heavier fines on private companies found guilty of leaking personal data, Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) said yesterday.
In addition, the government would establish an “independent watch mechanism” for better protection of personal data, Cheng said at an inauguration ceremony in Taipei for the National Institute of Cyber Security (NICS).
The proposed amendments to the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法) would increase the fines as soon as possible for personal data leaks by private companies, he said.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Article 48 of the act allows for fines of NT$20,000 to NT$200,000 against companies that fail to prevent theft or disclosure of private data that they collect, or allow it to be compromised.
Cheng’s pledge to increase the penalties came one day after iRent, a Taiwanese vehicle-sharing platform, was fined NT$200,000 by the Directorate-General of Highways for leaking the personal data of about 400,000 people.
The Taipei City Government on Thursday issued a NT$90,000 fine to iRent, which is run by Ho Ing Mobility Service (和雲行動服務), a subsidiary of automotive conglomerate Hotai Motor Co (和泰汽車).
Cheng said that the highways authority’s fine was “too light,” and that the public and private sectors need to step up their efforts to improve protections of personal data.
At the ceremony, Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang (唐鳳) also addressed the data protection issue, saying that the NICS would intervene in data leak incidents in the private sector and help companies tighten their cybersecurity systems.
The NICS, a public body established primarily to improve cybersecurity in Taiwan, would also seek to foster talent in that field, and develop advanced technologies and tools to protect the nation’s digital assets, Tang said.
Headed by Ho Chuan-te (何全德), who was previously in charge of cybersecurity at the Presidential Office, the NISC would play a pivotal role in reinforcing Taiwan’s digital environment, Tang said.
The NICS was set up under the Ministry of Digital Affairs in accordance with the Act for the Establishment of the National Institute of Cyber Security (國家資通安全研究院設置條例), which took effect at the start of this year.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who also attended the ceremony, said the establishment of the NICS was part of the government’s efforts to tackle ever-evolving cybersecurity threats from external forces.
“Information security is national security,” Tsai said, adding that the government needs to continue investing in Taiwan’s cybersecurity infrastructure.
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