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.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Taiwan’s three major international carriers are increasing booking fees, with EVA Airways having already increased the charge to US$28 per flight segment from US$25, while China Airlines (CAL) and Starlux Airlines are set to follow suit. Booking fees are charged by airlines through a global distribution system (GDS) and passed on to passengers. Carriers that apply the fees include CAL, EVA, Starlux and Tigerair Taiwan. A GDS is a computerized network operated by a company that connects airlines with travel agents and ticketing platforms, allowing reservations to be made and processed in real time. Major players include Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport. EVA Air began
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
When Paraguayan opposition lawmaker Leidy Galeano returned from an all-expenses-paid tour of six Chinese cities late last year, she was convinced Paraguay risked missing out on major economic gains by sticking with longtime ally Taipei over Beijing — a message that participants on the trip heard repeatedly from Chinese officials. “Everything I saw there, I wanted for my country,” said Galeano, a member of the newly-formed Yo Creo party whose senior figures have spoken favorably about China. This trip and others like it — which people familiar with the visits said were at the invitation of the Chinese consulate in Sao Paulo
RSS