TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Control Yuan has warned that TikTok poses a serious national security threat and negatively affects children’s learning, prompting the Cabinet to consider restrictions on public downloads while studying other countries’ approaches, according to Liberty Times.
Concerns include collecting personal data stored in China, the likelihood that minors' data could be accessed by the CCP, and the platform spreading false information in Taiwan.
The report urged the Cabinet to review and improve its oversight. Cabinet Spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said Sunday that whether further restrictions should be imposed on companies offering TikTok for public download is under study, with the Ministry of Digital Affairs and related agencies collecting research and examining similar measures in other countries.
Lo Cheng-chung (羅承宗), a professor at the National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology’s Graduate Institute of Science and Technology Law, told Liberty Times that many countries worry about TikTok being used for “foreign information manipulation and interference” and are taking countermeasures. The EU and others are enforcing strict local regulations under the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act to implement “very stringent supervision.”
Lee said that since the 2019 issuance of the Principles on Restricting the Use of Products That Endanger National Cyber Security, public sector devices and the environments have faced restrictions. MODA oversees these measures, limiting government use of products, including apps, that pose cybersecurity risks.
She added that private devices used by the general public are not currently restricted. As for whether to further limit companies from allowing public downloads and use, MODA and related agencies are collecting research on similar measures in other countries to assess legal and practical feasibility.
Lee clarified that, for now, illegal or inappropriate content on internet platforms should still be handled by the relevant authorities according to existing laws.
