Campus networks are to restrict access to six Chinese apps deemed as security risks by the Ministry of Digital Affairs, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said yesterday.
The digital ministry last month announced that Douyin, TikTok, RedNote (小紅書), Sina Weibo, WeChat and Baidu Cloud are information security risks, urging the public to protect their digital safety.
The education ministry referenced the warning in its announcement, adding that TikTok has been fined by multiple countries for harmful content.
Photo: AP
It said it would ban the six apps from being downloaded, installed or used on official devices, and restrict access to them on TANet and iTaiwan hotspots on campuses and ministry agencies.
TANet is provided free to students and teachers by the education ministry, while iTaiwan, run by the Ministry of Digital Affairs, has more than 9,000 hotspots nationwide.
The decision is part of the education ministry’s work to protect Internet networks on school campuses, in accordance with the Cyber Security Management Act (資通安全管理法), and the Child and Juvenile Welfare and Rights Protection Act (兒童及少年福利與權益保障法), Deputy Minister of Education Chu Chun-chang (朱俊彰) said.
The ministry has been protecting campus networks from inappropriate content since 2014, Chu said.
Schools should not use any high-risk apps in learning activities to ensure all teaching materials are appropriate, the education ministry said.
It is important to care for young people’s mental health during education, and guide them in balancing the online and physical worlds, Chu said.
The education ministry will continue working with schools and parents to create a better learning and growing environment for young people, he said.
The Executive Yuan affirmed the education ministry’s move.
“In recent years, fraud rings have increasingly used short-form video and social media platforms to package scams and infiltrate users’ feeds. Children and teenagers have become prime targets for fake investment schemes, online shopping fraud and account misuse,” it said. “By proactively identifying high-risk channels and outlining countermeasures, the MOE has taken a crucial step in strengthening anti-fraud efforts.”
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