TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Digital Affairs said Wednesday that testing found four Chinese-made apps posed cybersecurity and privacy risks.
The ministry said Amap, Bilibili, iQIYI, and Bimobimo involved risks related to real-time behavior monitoring and data transmission to servers in China, per CNA. Officials warned that under Chinese law, companies can be required to provide user data to state authorities.
Among the apps tested, Amap showed the most serious concerns, with 11 risk items identified on Android and eight on iOS, per Liberty Times. The app was found to access sensitive information including location data, contacts, health records, and other information.
Li Yu-wei (李昱緯), a senior official at MODA’s Administration for Cyber Security, said some permissions requested by Amap appeared unrelated to its core functions, raising concerns over excessive data collection. He warned that long-term tracking of users’ locations and activities could create risks involving surveillance and personal safety.
Li said Amap features such as traffic light countdowns and 3D street views could be used to infer users’ travel patterns and routines. He added that continuous access to audio and video functions could expose personal privacy or sensitive business information.
The ministry urged the public to review app privacy policies and confirm whether permission requests are reasonable.
