The Executive Yuan plans to tighten cybersecurity regulations governing civilian drones, including a mandate for comprehensive testing of all commercially available models, an official said yesterday on condition of anonymity.
Former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) asked the Cabinet to produce new regulations targeting privately owned drones following reports that some Chinese-made systems were utilized during Double Ten National Day performances last year, the person said.
The rules being considered would require all drones sold on the commercial market to obtain cybersecurity certificates, and would ban the use of uncertified uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), the official said.
Photo: Lo Hsin-chen, Taipei Times
The use of uncertified drones could become punishable by a fine of up to NT$1.5 million (US$49,774) under the Civil Aviation Act (民用航空法), the person said.
Taiwan has 40,000 privately owned UAVs, including 30,000 drones registered to individuals and 10,000 to commercial entities, foundations and groups, the official said.
Chinese-made UAVs are banned for official use in Taiwan, but no restrictions are placed on private use, other than a safety rules limiting their weight and flight range.
The scheme being designed aims to regulate the private ownership and utilization of drones by establishing comprehensive standards for cybersecurity, flight safety, license verification, radio signal broadcast authorization and background checks on the users, the person said.
The certification system would be jointly managed by the Ministry of Digital Affairs, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the National Communications Commission and the Civil Aviation Administration, which is tasked with creating and managing a drone database, the official said.
The aviation authority is expected to hold a public forum to discuss the matter within the next few weeks, then unveil regulatory amendments next month and have them promulgated in April, the person said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Digital Affairs plans to open a drone cybersecurity inspection facility on March 1 to test the estimated 1,000 types of drones being used in Taiwan before the year’s end, the official said.
The ministry plans to introduce restrictions on privately owned UAVs to protect public safety, national secrets at sensitive sites, air traffic and the security of officials, the person said, adding that a sunset clause would protect existing drones that do not meet the proposed new standards.
TRAGEDY STRIKES TAIPEI: The suspect died after falling off a building after he threw smoke grenades into Taipei Main Station and went on a killing spree in Zhongshan A 27-year-old suspect allegedly threw smoke grenades in Taipei Main Station and then proceeded to Zhongshan MRT Station in a random killing spree that resulted in the death of the suspect and two other civilians, and seven injured, including one in critical condition, as of press time last night. The suspect, identified as a man surnamed Chang Wen (張文), allegedly began the attack at Taipei Main Station, the Taipei Fire Department said, adding that it received a report at 5:24pm that smoke grenades had been thrown in the station. One man in his 50s was rushed to hospital after a cardiac arrest
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
RSS