President Tsai Ing-wen says the shelved Digital Intermediary Service Act needs more work. The proposed legislation would grant the National Communications Commission (NCC) power to govern content on online platforms. However, critics say the bill would deal a severe blow to online freedom of speech.
Progress on the draft bill has since been halted.
On Wednesday, Tsai said freedom of expression is an essential foundation of democracy. She also called for creating an anti-cybercrime law to protect Taiwan’s netizens.
Taiwanese authorities have been combating rising cases in human trafficking exacerbated by the abuse of technology. There are also concerns that online exploitation is leading to other problems like fake news and revenge pornography. Establishing relevant laws would make it easier for law enforcement to tackle such issues. However, people are calling for leaders to find a balance as they find an appropriate solution to the problem.