TikTok, the social media platform owned by China-based ByteDance, has been deemed a dangerous product in Taiwan, Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang (唐鳳) said.
Tang was responding to a question by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) regarding the government’s stance on the short-form video hosting service that might be banned in the US soon.
This classification was made because TikTok is controlled by foreign adversaries, Tang told a legislative hearing last week, indicating an alignment with the US’ view that the platform is a national security threat.
Photo: Reuters
In Taiwan, any product that could be significantly controlled by foreign adversaries — directly or indirectly — is considered a threat to national information and communication security, and is deemed a dangerous product, she said.
On March 13, the US House of Representatives passed a bill that would give ByteDance about six months to divest its US assets or face a nationwide ban.
The bill is to be forwarded to the US Senate, and if passed there, would be sent to US President Joe Biden to be signed into law.
The Ministry of Digital Affairs has proposed an amendment to the Cyber Security Management Act (資通安全管理法), based on similar concerns stated in the US bill about the indirect influence of foreign adversaries, Tang said.
“Dangerous products” include those provided by a substantive controller of sources of infiltration, as referred to in the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法), the ministry said on Thursday last week regarding the proposed amendment.
TikTok is currently banned for use in Taiwanese government agencies and on their premises.
The Cabinet is to decide whether to extend that ban to schools, non-governmental agencies and public spaces, Tang said.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan at 7pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter of the temblor was at sea, about 69.9km south of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 30.9km, it said. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake’s intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County’s Changbin Township (長濱), where it measured 5 on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 4 in Hualien, Nantou, Chiayi, Yunlin, Changhua and Miaoli counties, as well as
Taiwan is to have nine extended holidays next year, led by a nine-day Lunar New Year break, the Cabinet announced yesterday. The nine-day Lunar New Year holiday next year matches the length of this year’s holiday, which featured six extended holidays. The increase in extended holidays is due to the Act on the Implementation of Commemorative and Festival Holidays (紀念日及節日實施條例), which was passed early last month with support from the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party. Under the new act, the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve is also a national holiday, and Labor Day would no longer be limited
COMMITMENTS: The company had a relatively low renewable ratio at 56 percent and did not have any goal to achieve 100 percent renewable energy, the report said Pegatron Corp ranked the lowest among five major final assembly suppliers in progressing toward Apple Inc’s commitment to be 100 percent carbon neutral by 2030, a Greenpeace East Asia report said yesterday. While Apple has set the goal of using 100 percent renewable energy across its entire business, supply chain and product lifecycle by 2030, carbon emissions from electronics manufacturing are rising globally due to increased energy consumption, it said. Given that carbon emissions from its supply chain accounted for more than half of its total emissions last year, Greenpeace East Asia evaluated the green transition performance of Apple’s five largest final
Taiwan is to extend its visa-waiver program for Philippine passport holders for another year, starting on Aug. 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Friday. Lin made the announcement during a reception in Taipei marking the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The decision reflected Taiwan’s commitment to deepening exchanges with the Philippines, the statement cited Lin as saying, adding that it was a key partner under the New Southbound Policy launched in 2016. Lin also expressed hope
RSS