TAIPEI (Taiwan News) - National Communications Commission (NCC, 國家通訊傳播委員會) Chairwoman Nicole Chan (詹婷怡) tendered her resignation after criticism of its handling of ‘fake news.’

Last month, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) lashed out at the NCC for failing to take adequate measures against the spread of false information. The commission had only leveled fines at media producing false reports in the run-up to legislative by-elections and not taken sufficient additional measures, critics said.

Chan was reportedly going to announce her resignation on Wednesday, but the news leaked one day early, the Central News Agency reported.

In an earlier response to the criticism, the NCC chief said she would raise the efficiency of the body and increase the frequency of meetings to discuss programs.

The Cabinet reportedly released a statement Tuesday evening indicating that her resignation had been accepted. It expressed the hope that she might serve as a bridge between business and officialdom, the Apple Daily reported.

Chan, 51, is an attorney specialized in intellectual copyrights, CNA reported. She took on the leadership of the NCC in 2016, with her present term still running until July 31 next year.