TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — DPP Hsinchu City Councilor Tseng Tzu-cheng (曾資程) criticized the city government for allowing a Chinese spouse to livestream the interior of Hsinchu City Hall.
A Chinese spouse recently livestreamed inside Hsinchu City Hall on Douyin, prompting some members of the public to report the behavior over security concerns, per TTV. Constructed during the Japanese colonial era, Hsinchu City Hall is a two-story brick building that blends Western and Japanese architectural styles.
Citing Hsinchu City Hall’s visitor access rules, Tseng said security guards should stop any unauthorized recording, filming, or photography, per Liberty Times. He argued that allowing the livestreamer to disclose the building’s interior layout amounts to malfeasance.
Tseng said the interior layout is highly sensitive information and that allowing it to circulate online creates security risks for the city government.
TPP Hsinchu City Councilor Sung Pin-ying (宋品瑩) responded that the livestream took place in a public area during normal opening hours, per UP Media. She said tourists would naturally take photos of a historic building and that unauthorized recording refers to revealing sensitive information or obstructing official business.
Addressing Tseng’s mention of the livestreamer’s nationality and use of Douyin, Sung said security guards cannot identify nationality or apps without checking every visitor, which she argued would raise legal and human rights concerns. She added that checking people based on appearance or accent would be discriminatory.
Hsinchu Mayor Kao Hung-an (高虹安) said public areas of the city government are open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., per Newtalk. She noted that the premises have round-the-clock security and surveillance systems.
The Hsinchu City Government said it is aware of the incident and that it did not affect operations, per Storm Media. It added that security presence would be increased if necessary to maintain a balance between public access and safety.
