Lawmakers on the Legislative Yuan’s Transportation Committee yesterday criticized National Communications Commission Chairperson Howard Shyr’s (石世豪) slow reaction to controversies caused by app 17, saying that the commission failed in its duty to oversee the content of the app.
The app, created by Taiwanese-American singer Jeff Huang (黃立成) and downloaded 1.3 million times in about two months after its release, allows users to broadcast content in real time. However, on Tuesday it was removed from both Apple’s App Store and Google’s Google Play after some users were found violating the terms of the end-user license agreement by live-streaming pornographic content.
When asked by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chen Ken-te (陳根德) when he first heard about the app’s pending removal from the app stores, Shyr initially said three weeks ago, but later changed his statement to “recently.”
Shyr finally admitted he did not know about the incident until yesterday morning.
Chen said Shyr’s replies showed that he was trying to deceive the committee into thinking that he had a full grasp of the situation.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Yeh Yi-jin (葉宜津) was equally irritated by Shyr’s responses to the lawmakers.
After Shyr said that the Institute of Watch Internet Network (iWIN), a platform that accepts questions and complaints from the public online on behalf of the government, had identified issues with the app and turned them over to the Criminal Investigation Bureau for further investigation, Yeh asked Shyr when and how many times iWIN had reported issues with it.
Shyr appeared unable to answer the question, at which point Yeh said that he was wasting her time and asked for her time on the floor to be reset.
After a recess of the question-and-answer session, Shyr said that iWIN had identified issues with app 17 on Aug. 27 and had forwarded them to the Criminal Investigation Bureau on Sept. 2.
Someone would face criminal charges for broadcasting pornographic content, Shyr said, but added that the commission does not have the authority to launch a criminal investigation.
Many Internet content developers are based in foreign countries, Shyr said, adding that Taiwan is seeking cooperation with other nations to crack down on illegal content from overseas. However, Shyr said many countries find it inappropriate and impossible to regulate online content, because of concerns over freedom of speech.
Instead, the governments of other nations have tried to create an environment in which Internet content developers can freely utilize self-regulatory mechanisms, Shyr said, “as is the case with 17, where we have seen how a self-regulatory mechanism can work.”
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
RSS