When wars, earthquakes, or major disasters strike, "communications" are often the first to take a hit. Base stations are bombed or networks cut off, and an entire region can experience an instantaneous blackout. To ensure that citizens retain basic and secure communication rights during emergencies, the Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) of the Executive Yuan planned to develop the "Disaster Roaming Project" in 2023. The function of "disaster roaming" is that when mobile communications from one telecommunications provider fail, as long as another provider's mobile network remains operational, citizens can use that network to communicate and access accurate government information.

However, does disaster roaming make it easier for the state to control people's communications? If communications are concentrated in a few base stations or specific telecom operators, would it make it easier for the government or certain entities to monitor communication content or restrict the dissemination of certain information? This often touches upon the boundaries of privacy rights, wiretapping and surveillance, and information censorship, while also involving issues concerning personal data protection and cross-platform user rights.

In extreme times, government interventions in communication networks to maintain order are often viewed as a "necessary evil." Yet, the more exceptional the times, the more we need to ask: "Where are the boundaries of digital freedom?" For this lecture, we have invited Kenny Huang, Chairman of the Taiwan Network Information Center (TWNIC), to speak, and Attorney Lu Shih-chun, Chairperson of the Judicial Practice Research Committee of the Taichung Bar Association, to moderate, guiding us in clarifying the boundaries and trade-offs between "digital human rights" and "special restrictions during wartime and disasters."

Moderator

Lu Shih-chun Chairperson, Judicial Practice Research Committee, Taichung Bar Association

Speaker

Kenny Huang Chairman, Taiwan Network Information Center (TWNIC)

---

• Time: 10/18 (Sat) 14:00-15:30
  
• Location: Judicial Reform Foundation Taichung Office (10F.-2, No. 4-33, Sec. 1, Shuangshi Rd., East Dist., Taichung City)
  
  Capped at 50 participants; overflows will be placed on a waiting list
  

This session has concluded. View the event transcript

In 2024, the human rights organization Freedom House released its Freedom on the Net report, pointing out that global internet freedom continues to face challenges. The report evaluates nations based on dimensions such as "whether citizens' access to the internet is restricted," "the extent of government content restrictions," and "violations of user rights." Iceland, Estonia, and Canada ranked in the top three, while Taiwan ranked 7th, maintaining a high level of internet freedom. However, countries including Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Iraq, and Zimbabwe were noted as experiencing significant declines in internet freedom.

The JRF is currently promoting the proposed Digital Bill of Rights. The draft explicitly stipulates that "the government has the obligation to protect and promote a neutral and open internet environment, and shall not block or restrict any content, services, or applications without legal basis," and should "fully respect the fundamental rights of people to freedom of speech and freedom of information, and shall not establish blanket behavioral monitoring obligations for any entity or operator, nor implement content censorship systems."

At a time when multiple countries around the world are establishing systematic internet surveillance and content censorship mechanisms, leading to the suppression or even attacks on people due to online speech, the retreat of internet freedom not only erodes the foundations of democratic systems but also severely hinders people's fundamental rights to seek, receive, and impart information, and to form and express opinions.

This lecture specially invites Attorney Chuang Tzu-hsuan and Yang Han-chung, members of the JRF Digital Rule of Law Working Group, to have an in-depth discussion with us: When the state restricts internet freedom and access under the pretext of "exceptional control," where exactly are the bottom lines or boundaries? How do we seek a balance between safeguarding public safety and defending fundamental rights?

Moderator

Chuang Tzu-hsuan Attorney, Member of the JRF Digital Rule of Law Working Group

Speaker

Yang Han-chung Member of the JRF Digital Rule of Law Working Group

---

• Time: 11/29 (Sat) 14:00-15:30
  
• Location: Judicial Reform Foundation Taichung Office (10F.-2, No. 4-33, Sec. 1, Shuangshi Rd., East Dist., Taichung City)
  
  Capped at 50 participants; overflows will be placed on a waiting list
  

This session has concluded. View the event transcript.

In 2024, Australia passed the Social Media Minimum Age Bill, becoming the world's first country to explicitly ban teenagers under 16 from using social media. This move has generated polarized controversy; supporters believe that efforts must be made to stop the harms caused by social media to adolescents, such as appearance anxiety, Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), cyberbullying, and other mental health risks. Some countries (such as the United Kingdom and Denmark) have even stated they are considering following suit to promote similar legislation. Opponents point out that this ban excessively restricts minors' media access rights; in an era of digital information explosion where the internet is indispensable to daily life, an outright ban may not be the solution and could instead infringe upon youths' rights to access information and participate in public discourse.

In this lecture, we have invited Attorney Wei Kuang-hsuan, Standing Executive Committee Member of the JRF, to moderate, and Lu Hao-tien, member of the JRF Digital Rule of Law Working Group, to speak, deeply exploring the topic of "Youth Rights and Protection in the Digital Age." Under Taiwan's currently proposed Digital Rights Act, the government should "protect people from living in a digital environment controlled by commercial interests (such as surveillance capitalism) or interfered with by political forces," and should enhance "the understanding and legal safeguards of public mental health." However, aside from pushing for legislation, building a truly healthy online environment still relies on the joint investment and attention of government policies, the educational system, and society as a whole. How to strike a balance between protection and freedom has become an unavoidable core proposition in the digital age.

Moderator

Wei Kuang-hsuan Attorney, Standing Executive Committee Member of the JRF

Speaker

Lu Hao-tien Member of the JRF Digital Rule of Law Working Group

---

• Time: 12/20 (Sat) 14:00-15:30
  
• Location: Judicial Reform Foundation Taichung Office (10F.-2, No. 4-33, Sec. 1, Shuangshi Rd., East Dist., Taichung City)
  
  Capped at 50 participants; overflows will be placed on a waiting list
  

This session has concluded. View the event transcript.

As criminal methods become increasingly sophisticated, if investigative authorities wish to effectively combat crime today, it is difficult to rely solely on traditional means; they must depend on new types of technology-assisted investigative methods. On July 31, 2024, "special compulsory disposition measures" were added to the Code of Criminal Procedure as comprehensive regulations for technological investigation. Unlike traditional compulsory measures primarily involving physical restraint (such as apprehension and detention), special compulsory measures enumerate three means: "technological tracking of a defendant's location," "technological investigation of mobile communication devices," and "technological surveillance of private spaces."

Clearly, these three means heavily involve interference with people's fundamental rights, particularly the right to privacy and the right to informational self-determination. Therefore, whether due legal process is adhered to during the investigation process not only concerns investigative effectiveness but also bears upon the core values of democracy and the rule of law.

To prevent technology from becoming a tool for infringing upon fundamental rights, the chapter on special compulsory measures explicitly establishes information management regulations (such as the "prohibition of secondary use"), restrictions on the use of evidence, notification obligations, and remedies mechanisms, enabling people to be informed, to assert claims, and to seek remedies once their information is acquired, thereby ensuring that informational autonomy and privacy rights are not excessively infringed.

Although current law only authorizes the use of the aforementioned three technological investigative means, in today's rapid technological development and constantly shifting crime patterns, whether the current system is complete still requires review and discussion. In this lecture, Attorneys Chiu Tzu-ting, Lin Chun-hung, and Chang Ching-ju will lead us to review the developmental trajectory of technological investigation, analyze the challenges of current regulations, and forward-looking ponder: "Where is the future of technological investigation headed?"

Moderator

Chiu Tzu-ting Attorney, Member of the JRF Digital Rule of Law Working Group

Speaker

Lin Chun-hung Attorney, Convener of the JRF Digital Rule of Law Working Group

Speaker

Chang Ching-ju Attorney, Executive Committee Member of the JRF

---

• Time: 01/17 (Sat) 14:00-16:00
  
• Location: Judicial Reform Foundation Taichung Office (10F.-2, No. 4-33, Sec. 1, Shuangshi Rd., East Dist., Taichung City)
  
  Capped at 50 participants; overflows will be placed on a waiting list
  

This session has concluded. View the event transcript.