Politics

Privacy amendment signals an end to smears

• Publication Date：04/21/2010
• Source： United Daily News

Taiwan’s less scrupulous politicians and journalists may soon face fines of up to NT$500,000 (US$15,950) if they release the personal information of ROC citizens into the public arena.

Under the Personal Data Protection Act amendment, which passed second reading in the Legislature April 20, an individual’s name, birth date, identification number, occupation, assets, criminal record, medical data and sexual history are off limits for public disclosure.

“In addition to the fines, violators can be sued for damages up to NT$200 million per case if their actions affect more than one person,” a Ministry of Justice spokesman said.

The proposed change aims to halt the leaking of personal information and instances of people being smeared by elected officials and members of the media.

If enacted, the bill requires politicians and journalists to inform individuals before accessing their personal data. They must also reveal their sources when exposing private information.

According to the MOJ, which drafted the amendment, elected officials and members of the media pushed for exemption from the changes, arguing that releasing personal data plays an important part in monitoring government activities. The idea, however, met strong opposition from lawmakers.

“The new law is not as draconian as it sounds,” the MOJ spokesman said. “In practice, journalists will only have to obtain a person’s consent when their reports contain private information that cause controversy, such as property holdings or sexual peccadilloes.” (PCT-JSM)