The government should hold a public hearing on the issuance of electronic identification cards (eIDs) and stipulate a specific law to regulate them before requiring people to replace their paper identification cards with them, the New Power Party (NPP) said yesterday.
The eIDs would combine the functions of an identification card with those of a Citizen Digital Certificate, the Ministry of the Interior has said.
The ministry was scheduled this month to allow residents in Hsinchu City to switch to eIDs as a trial before issuing them nationwide. However, the Hsinchu City Government halted the trial on the grounds that it needs to protect its residents’ information.
Photo: CNA
To dismiss public concerns over potential information security breaches, the ministry said that the government would only issue eIDs nationwide when it is fully prepared to handle security issues.
The mandate to switch to eIDs could be against the Constitution, New Power Party Legislator Chen Jiau-hua (陳椒華) told a media conference, adding that the policy would be executed on a weak legal basis.
Countries such as Estonia, Germany and Japan have specific laws covering the enforcement of their eID policies, but the ministry insisted on using the House Registration Act (戶籍法) as the basis for implementing such a policy, Chen said.
This shows that the ministry lacks awareness about information security and the legal implications that could arise after the policy is executed, Chen said, adding that the government should stipulate a specific law to regulate the use of data on eIDs and host a public hearing as soon as possible to compile opinions on the policy from all parties.
Discussions at the hearing should also be shared with the public, Chen added.
If the government insists on enforcing the policy, it should clearly inform the public of the risks of using eIDs, as well as ways of protecting themselves from information security breaches.
Chou Kuan-ju (周冠汝), who specializes in human rights issues in the digital age at the Taiwan Association for Human Rights, said that a specific law would prevent the government from frivolously collecting personal data using the eIDs.
An independent agency should also be established to thoroughly enforce the law, Chou said.
As people cannot choose to not switch to eIDs and have to bear the risks themselves, the ministry should re-evaluate the necessity of enforcing such a policy, respect people’s rights on how their data are used and give people the option of switching to a chipless identification card, Chou said.
Central Engraving and Printing Plant vice president Yu Jiu-sheng (喻家聲) said that its personnel and facilities received ISO-27001 and BS10012 certifications to prepare for the trial this month.
Chips that are to be implanted in the eIDs would be handled based on high standards set by the ministry, Yu said, adding that all chips delivered to the plant would be locked and data cannot be stored on them.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS