The introduction of integrated circuit (IC) national health insurance cards will seriously damage privacy and human rights because the government cannot prove the system is safe, human-rights groups said yesterday.
"Employers, drug manufacturers, insurance companies, government departments, even intelligence agencies, would be able to easily access personal and private information if the policy is put into place," said the Personal Information Protection Alliance (PIPA), an association founded by 56 groups.
The government began validating IC national health insurance cards on July 1 and plans to completely phase out paper ones by Jan. 1.
"The biggest problem with this policy is that the public was not able to participate in the decision-making process or have a say in this," said Ivory Lin (
People should have the right to decide what kind of personal data will be put on the chip, Lin said.
"But they don't. I really cannot see where the government's concerns for human rights are," Lin said. "I think I have the right not to let others, except the doctor, know when my last period was when I visit an obstetrics clinic."
Technical problems will also hamper the introduction of the new system, PIPA said.
"Errors may happen when millions of pieces of personal information are inscribed on the chips," warned Chuang Tyng-ruey (
"Many patients' medical records have leaked out from hospitals in the past," Chuang said. "It's hard to imagine what will happen next year when the control mechanism is so loosely constructed."
Computer networks linking hospitals would face attacks by computer viruses and hackers would try to break into the system despite the protection of firewalls, PIPA said.
"We have met with government agencies to discuss this several times. We even sent letters to President Chen [Shui-bian] (陳水扁), Vice President [Annette] Lu (呂秀蓮) and Premier Yu Shyi-kun, but there has been no positive response from them," said Serena Chuang (莊紀婷), international affairs director of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights.
PIPA urged the government to postpone the IC card plan while doubts linger over the security of the system.
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
LIKE-MINDED COUNTRIES: Despite the threats from outside, Taiwan and Lithuania thrived and developed their economies, former president Tsai Ing-wen said Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Saturday thanked Lithuania for its support of Taiwan, saying that both countries are united as partners in defending democracy. Speaking at a reception organized by the Lithuania-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group welcoming her on her first visit to the Baltic state, Tsai said that while she was president from 2016 to last year, many Lithuanian “friends” visited Taiwan. “And I told myself I have to be here. I am very happy that I am here, a wonderful country and wonderful people,” Tsai said. Taiwan and Lithuania are in similar situations as both are neighbors to authoritarian countries, she
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
RSS