Noncommercial online platforms should not be regulated by the digital intermediary service act, the Professional Technology Temple (PTT) bulletin board system yesterday said in an information session organized by the National Communications Commission (NCC).
“The draft act stipulates that platforms with more than 2.3 million active users would be categorized as ‘designated online platform operators’ and would be subject to more obligations required by the NCC,” PTT legal consultant Hsu Che-jen (許哲仁).
“Although we have yet to reach that threshold, we believe that the government should only impose more obligations on large commercial platforms. As a noncommercial platform with very limited resources, PTT would have no way to fulfill obligations required by the government,” Hsu said. “Categorizing us as a designated online platform operator would be no different from asking us to shut down the entire operation.”
Photo: Chen Hsin-yu, Taipei Times
The draft act would limit the actions that platform operators can take to sanction users who repeatedly disseminate illegal content, such as those who share child pornography, Hsu said.
“These users must first be warned by platform operators, who are entitled to suspend users’ access to platforms for a reasonable amount of time only if they refuse to change their ways,” he said. “Based on the draft act, platform operators must not suspend their access to the platforms immediately without administering correctional measures first, or they will be fined NT$500,000 to NT$5 million [US$16,672 to US$166,717].”
The draft act also allows such users to counter the restrictions imposed by platform operators through mechanisms on the platforms if the operators fail to follow due process to suspend access, he said.
“The draft act would empower malefactors by allowing them to spread illegal content at least two times and leave platforms without quicker and more effective means to handle them,” he said, adding the draft act should leave room for an immediate intervention by platform operators.
Rather than requiring platform operators to fulfill so many obligations, the government should stipulate special legislation to target groups that spread false information online or exploit online platforms for illegal gain, Hsu said.
Representatives of commercial platforms said that there are practical issues they would encounter should the draft act be enforced.
“Suppose User A posted a message on the platform accusing a political candidate of plagiarism, and User B said that the accusation was false. Since I have no way of knowing which one of them is correct, I might choose to eliminate both comments just to avoid being responsible for them. However, doing so will infringe on users’ freedom of speech,” said Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), deputy executive director of Bahamut, a Taiwanese gamers’ platform.
Line Taiwan senior public policy director Crystal Hsu (許惠嵐) said that the draft act should clearly define the types of service that would be regulated, so service providers can more accurately calculate compliance costs.
“We want to know if the government plans to flag the content in one-on-one conversations, or conversations in chat groups,” Crystal Hsu said. “On Line, private conversations are encrypted, and we cannot intervene in those conversations.”
The draft act gives government agencies the authority to apply for information restraining order from a district court if they find illegal content on online platforms. Before obtaining the restraining orders, government agencies could request platform operators to flag the content by showing a pop-up alert next to it.
“We believe that only the court has the authority to decide whether a certain message is disinformation or illegal content. There should not be a back door for government agencies to greatly expand their authority and infringe on the privacy of people,” she said.
Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook, told NCC officials that the draft act should establish an agency that is responsible for handling accountability issues of multiple stakeholders.
Enforcement rules related to the draft act must be clear and effective, and conform to the principle of proportionality, while accountability mechanisms should be flexible to strengthen the digital economy, Meta said.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS