World News | China uses TikTok for disinformation campaign in Taiwan

Taipei [Taiwan]March 13 (ANI): According to the Taipei Times, China uses influential people to spread disinformation in Taiwan through social media such as TikTok and YouTube, aiming to create suspicion and damage Taiwan-US relations.

However, a government official said it would be difficult for Taiwan to designate an agency to police online activity.

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In order to prevent the CCP from using TikTok to spread false information and threaten national security, the cabinet called for an inter-ministerial meeting at the end of last year, but due to the reshuffle of the cabinet this year, it has not yet been held. , said the government official, who did not want to be named, according to the Taipei Times.

The cabinet led by former Prime Minister Su Zhenchang banned the use of short-video platform Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, on government devices but has not discussed further other ways to counter the threat since a cabinet reshuffle in January, officials said.

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The issue involves free speech censorship and content management, so the government has to be very careful, the official said, adding that the European Union has also moved to ban TikTok on government devices, the Taipei Times reported.

They said Taiwan was still evaluating the issue while looking at approaches taken by other countries.

There is a government agency that regulates radio and television broadcast content, but with the draft Digital Intermediary Services Act on hold, there is no government agency that regulates online activity, the official added.

Asked whether the Ministry of Digital Affairs could be the authority to manage the issue, the official said the Information and Communications Security Management Act and the Personal Data Protection Act involve the operation of multiple ministries, making it difficult for one agency to regulate cyber activity, Taipei Times reported.

China uses “United Front” tactics, cognitive warfare, and infiltration campaigns to divide Taiwanese society and seek to undermine Taiwan’s relationships with like-minded countries.

Earlier, the White House gave government agencies 30 days to ensure TikTok is not on any federal devices and systems.

Several states, including Maryland, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota and Texas, have passed similar legislation banning government agencies from using TikTok due to security concerns.

Policy agencies in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada and the European Union have also banned TikTok from loading state-owned devices.

The Canadian government blocked short-video app TikTok on official electronic devices.

Government-issued devices will be blocked from downloading TikTok and existing installations of the app will be deleted, the Canadian Treasury Secretariat said, according to CNN. (Arnie)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)