The Ministry of Digital Affairs has proposed restricting the use of China-made information and communications products by Taiwan government agencies, in an effort to prevent Chinese cyberattacks and enhance national security, a ministry official said Tuesday.
The proposals, which were put forward in the form of an amendment to the “Principles on Restricting the Use of Products that Endanger National Cyber Security,” would prohibit Taiwanese government agencies from using ICT products and services that might pose national security risks, the official said.
The amendment was drafted after Beijing hacked into the China-made software of a public electronic billboard at a Taiwan Railways Administration station in southern Taiwan and posted malicious messages about United States House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi during her visit to Taiwan Aug. 2-3.
The proposed amendment would ban the use of China-made information and communications systems or services, including electronic billboards and surveillance cameras, by public enterprises and government agencies and their private contractors, according to a ministry official.
In situations where there is no alternative to made-in China products, the matter will be handled on a case-by-case basis, the official said, citing the example of Taiwan’s overseas embassies and missions.
The amendment states that an agency would first have to obtain approval from its information security division chief for any exceptional use of China-made ICT hardware and software products, then submit an application to the digital ministry for final permission.
Digital Minister Audrey Tang has said her ministry has invited the Cabinet’s Legal Affairs Committee and relevant government agencies to formally submit their views on the proposed amendment.
(By Su Szu-yun and Evelyn Kao) https://focustaiwan.tw
