The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a proposal that would pave the way for the establishment of an independent agency tasked with improving personal data protection in Taiwan.
According to the Cabinet, the proposed bill and amendments, which still require legislative approval, would provide the legal basis for the planned Personal Data Protection Commission.
Under the proposal, each government agency should also appoint a “personal data protection officer” to coordinate and oversee efforts to bolster data protection and promote awareness of its importance.
Photo: AFP
At a news conference, Lin Yu-chia (林裕嘉), head of the planned agency’s preparatory office, said the commission would include five to seven commissioners serving for renewable four-year terms.
Commissioners would primarily be tasked with handling cases of personal data breaches in government agencies and private enterprises that “do not have a specific competent authority,” Lin said.
The commissioners, who are expected to work independently, would determine liability and subsequent penalties for those cases, she said.
Businesses without a specific competent authority would include platform-based information services and credit providers, Lin said.
If everything goes according to plan, the hope is that all businesses would fall under the commission’s jurisdiction within six years of operations, Lin added.
In addition to enforcing laws regarding personal data protection, the planned agency would also be responsible for formulating policies and regulations, developing and promoting technology applications, and talent incubation, she said.
The Cabinet’s proposal is aimed at addressing some problems, such as the absence of a comprehensive and uniform personal data protection supervisory mechanism and the lack of a designated agency that oversees public and private sectors, Lin said.
The establishment of a designated personal data protection agency was ordered by the Constitutional Court in a 2022 ruling, which gave the executive body a three-year grace period to set up an independent supervisory agency for better protection of personal data and privacy.
According to the ruling, the agency must be set up by Aug. 12.
US President Donald Trump said "it’s up to" Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) what China does on Taiwan, but that he would be "very unhappy" with a change in the "status quo," the New York Times said in an interview published yesterday. Xi "considers it to be a part of China, and that’s up to him what he’s going to be doing," Trump told the newspaper on Wednesday. "But I’ve expressed to him that I would be very unhappy if he did that, and I don’t think he’ll do that," he added. "I hope he doesn’t do that." Trump made the comments in
NOT AN OPENING: Trump’s violation of international law does not affect China’s consideration in attacking Taiwan; Beijing lacks capability, not precedent, an official said Taiwanese officials see the US’ capture of the president of Venezuela as a powerful deterrent to Beijing’s aggression and a timely reminder of the US’ ability to defeat militaries equipped with Chinese-made weapons. The strikes that toppled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signaled to authoritarian leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), US President Donald Trump’s willingness to use military might for international affairs core to US interests, one senior official in Taipei’s security circle said. That reassured Taiwan, the person said. Taipei has also dismissed the idea that Trump’s apparent violation of international law could embolden Beijing, said the official, who was not
A cold surge advisory was today issued for 18 cities and counties across Taiwan, with temperatures of below 10°C forecast during the day and into tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. New Taipei City, Taipei, Taoyuan and Hsinchu, Miaoli and Yilan counties are expected to experience sustained temperatures of 10°C or lower, the CWA said. Temperatures are likely to temporarily drop below 10°C in most other areas, except Taitung, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, CWA data showed. The cold weather is being caused by a strong continental cold air mass, combined with radiative cooling, a process in which heat escapes from
Snow this morning fell on Alishan for the first time in seven years, as a strong continental cold air mass sent temperatures plunging across Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The Alishan weather station, located at an elevation of about 2,200m in central Taiwan, recorded snowfall from 8:55am to 9:15am, when the temperature dropped to about 1°C, the CWA said. With increased moisture and low temperatures in the high-altitude Alishan area, the conditions were favorable for snow, CWA forecaster Tsai Yi-chi (蔡伊其) said. The last time snow fell at the Alishan weather station was on Jan. 10, 2018, while graupel fell there
RSS