Volunteer Lawyer Recruitment | Digital Rule of Law Salon & Empowerment Workshop #TechInvestigation #DigitalIntermediation #eID
Last edited: 2026-07-27
The Judicial Reform Foundation has long monitored how the state utilizes citizens' personal data. Upon review by JRF, while Taiwan has numerous regulations concerning the digital rule of law, potential conflicts and application difficulties may exist among these regulations, coupled with a severe inadequacy in the density of the rule of law. The government frequently rolls out, establishes, and arbitrarily interconnects databases without clear legal norms, potentially leading to the improper use of citizens' personal information by the government. In short, Taiwan lacks a privacy protection principle and regulatory mechanism governed by a single statute akin to the European Union's GDPR, resulting in fragmented regulations where individual laws operate in silos. This creates issues such as ambiguous jurisdictions for competent and supervisory authorities and opaque processes for data retrieval. Without timely and comprehensive review and amendment, it will evidently remain difficult to safeguard citizens' rights to privacy and informational self-determination.
In response to the aforementioned systemic legal challenges, the Foundation intends to integrate relevant resources. Starting from the Special Act on the New e-ID (Digital Identity Card), the draft Technology-Based Investigative Procedures Act, and the draft Digital Intermediary Services Act—while taking reference from frameworks such as the EU's GDPR and APEC's CBPR—we will propose research on amendments to these drafts. We also plan to hold intensive monthly discussions on related legislation, with the goal of improving Taiwan's relevant regulations and compelling the government to implement human rights protection norms amidst the rapidly developing digital currents.
Aside from reviewing domestic regulations, to effectively bridge our laws with foreign regulatory frameworks, the Foundation plans to invite experts to publish relevant articles and convene expert meetings. By matchmaking international resources and professional insights, we aim to ensure that when amending domestic laws, Taiwan can timely reference the latest foreign amendments, thereby keeping our laws localized yet aligned with the international community.
Target Audience: Volunteer Lawyers or Individuals with Related Technical Backgrounds
1/5 What is the "Digital Intermediary Services Act" Arguing About?
Speaker
Lin Chun-hung, Managing Attorney at Yichieng Law Firm, Convener of the JRF Digital Law Group
- Time: Thursday, January 5, 2023, 19:00-21:00
- Location: JRF Taipei Office (7F, No. 3, Lane 90, Sungjiang Rd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City)
In response to endless false information, the government proposed the draft Digital Intermediary Services Act this year (2022). However, the positioning, rights, and responsibilities of various social media platform operators remained unclear. Furthermore, permitting administrative agencies to first label what they deem as "fake news" with warning notices before applying to the court for information restriction orders also raised concerns about the excessive infringement upon freedom of speech. Following repeated statements by experts and scholars, and in collaboration with platform operators at the "Digital Governance and Intermediary Service Providers" workshop held by the Taiwan Internet Governance Forum, the Foundation articulated its stance on these issues. At present, the government has suspended discussions, while JRF is actively working on drafting relevant legislative revisions.
1/11 What is the "Technology-Based Investigative Procedures Act" Arguing About?
Speaker
Lin Chun-ju, Practicing Attorney at Chenglich Law Firm, Ph.D. Student at NCCU College of Law
- Time: Wednesday, January 11, 2023, 19:00-21:00
- Location: JRF Taipei Office (7F, No. 3, Lane 90, Sungjiang Rd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City)
In September 2020, the Ministry of Justice announced the draft Technology-Based Investigative Procedures Act, incorporating global positioning systems, device-end communications surveillance, and online searches into investigative methods, each set with different regulatory measures, drawing widespread attention. What exactly are the controversies surrounding the Technology-Based Investigative Procedures Act? What practical problems does it face? What aspects of the regulations require careful consideration? Viewed from the perspective of Science, Technology, and Society (STS), what reflections does it bring? This salon will briefly outline the legislative history, explore regulatory controversies, and subsequently develop prudent deliberations on a rational legal framework for technology-based investigations.
1/14 Rethinking Government Acquisition and Utilization of Personal Data via Administrative Means: Taking the eID Digital Identity Card and National Health Insurance Database as Examples
Speakers
Wu Tzu-yi, Practicing Attorney, Amicus Curiae Counsel for JRF in the National Health Insurance Database Case
Yang Shao-kai, Practicing Attorney at Yuan Chu Law Firm, Attorney for the eID Chip Identity Card Litigation Pro Bono Team
- Time: Saturday, January 14, 2023, 10:00-12:00
- Location: JRF Taipei Office (7F, No. 3, Lane 90, Sungjiang Rd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City)
In October 2020, the government attempted to forcefully promote the comprehensive replacement of national identity cards with chip-based ID cards in the absence of a sound legal regulatory system. To protect citizens' rights, JRF swiftly organized a legal team and initiated litigation to point out the current deficiencies in Taiwan's legalization process, enabling the issue to be thoroughly discussed in court and successfully prompting the government to suspend the chip-based ID card rollout plan. This workshop will invite lawyers from the eID legal team to briefly introduce the progress of the eID preventive injunction litigation and the content of the amicus curiae brief for the National Health Insurance Database constitutional interpretation case, preparing in advance for future strategies regarding the formulation of the eID special act draft, litigation, and advocacy.
This article is an AI-generated translation of the original Chinese text. In the event of any discrepancy, the Chinese version shall prevail.