TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Legislator Huang Kuo-shu (黃國書) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has cautioned against purchasing smart teaching aids from China that he fears could pose cybersecurity risks.
The legislator raised the alarm at an interpellation session on Thursday (April 15) on the country’s technological education policy. He cited media reports that equipment used as teaching aids in schools could be sourced from China, such as drones for aerial photography, robots, and coding platforms, wrote CNA.
In addition, Children’s Day presents may be another area of concern, as smart wristwatches manufactured in China could be monitored by malevolent actors or transmit user data, he added.
Education Minister Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) acknowledged the potential threat of such products and said that the issue will be addressed. The Cabinet began a comprehensive review of the use of made-in-China ICT products at public agencies in 2020 and ordered such devices to be phased out.
Last month, the PTS reported complaints have been filed about a cybersecurity loophole on consumer electronics. A Taiwanese computer programmer flagged that robot vacuums have been covertly sending data to servers in China, urging the government to take action.
Vice Premier Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津) said in December that government facilities have been ordered to replace Chinese-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by the end of 2021. He was responding to concerns about the poor management of the country’s UAVs, which have brought attention to the invasion of privacy and aviation safety issues.
