TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Digital Affairs Minister Lin Yi-jing (林宜敬) announced Wednesday (Oct. 15) that his ministry has begun regulating TikTok amid growing concerns about the Chinese-owned platform's risks. Lin told Taiwan's parliament, the Legislative Yuan's Transportation Committee (立法院交通委員會), that any potential ban would require societal consensus due to free speech considerations.
The ministry currently focuses on protecting minors by restricting TikTok access through school Wi-Fi networks in elementary and middle schools. Lin outlined plans to collaborate with the Ministry of Education (教育部) and other agencies to prevent children under 12 from creating TikTok accounts while imposing restrictions on teens aged 13 to 15. He assured that schools would not inspect students' phones but would limit access through institutional Wi-Fi.
Lin identified three primary concerns about TikTok: data storage practices, Chinese ownership, and the platform's impact on minors. He noted that the United States is already addressing the first two issues through its own regulatory discussions. The minister confirmed that talks with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Welfare (衛福部) are ongoing, with initial solutions targeted for completion by year's end.
Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) opposition party Legislator Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) called for a complete TikTok ban in schools, citing potential mental and physical health risks to minors. Hung advocated for expanding protections beyond TikTok to include a comprehensive review of all potentially harmful applications targeting young users. ◼
