No legal basis for blanket TikTok ban, Cabinet says

SECURITY:
Applications that can distribute videos, images or audio should be regulated, including with contractors and at venues, a Cabinet spokesman said

• By Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff writer, with CNA

There is no legal basis for restricting public use of TikTok, the Executive Yuan said yesterday, but added that it would consult regulations in other countries and stakeholders in Taiwan to determine if there is a need to amend laws.

Many countries have taken measures against the short-form video-sharing platform owned by China-based ByteDance over fears that it might endanger national security.

In Taiwan, government employees have been prohibited from using Chinese social media platforms, including TikTok, since 2019, Executive Yuan spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) said.

The scope of that policy was expanded last month to ban the use of such platforms at public events and the venues where they are held, he said.

The government is to review measures taken by other countries and solicit opinions from all sectors in Taiwan to assess the necessity of amending the law to provide the legal grounds for a nationwide ban, he said.

The Cabinet yesterday convened a meeting on cybersecurity to discuss information security strategies and how to manage products that pose a threat to the nation’s cybersecurity, Lo said.

In the face of ever-changing types of cyberattacks, it is difficult to ensure that information security breaches never occur, he said.

Government agencies are asked to quickly recover from attacks, learn about their weaknesses and enhance their protection, he said.

Platforms or applications that can distribute videos, images and audio should be regulated, and the restrictions should be included in outsourcing contracts or venue regulations, he said.

The measures should be fully implemented and the Department of Cyber Security is to inspect various agencies periodically, he added.

As companies and the public are likely to purchase Chinese Internet-connected devices, the government should step up information security protections, especially for products with cameras that might pose security threats, Lo said.

Government agencies have established information security standards and developed detection capabilities for 16 types of products such as video cameras and electronic locks, he said.

The standards might eventually be applied nationwide, he added.

Agencies should build awareness about information security issues in the industries they are in charge of and encourage companies and the public to purchase products with information security protections, he said.