Event

Taming the Digital Realm: FNF Advocates for Effective Regulations in Taiwan to Counter Authoritarian Influence

The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) Global Innovation Hub hosted a discussion on Thursday(22) titled "Taming the Digital Realm in the EU, Taiwan, and Sri Lanka." The event highlights the global need to regulate online platforms and enforce transparency, offering input that could be particularly relevant for Taiwan, which currently lacks regulation around content moderation and faces significant geopolitical challenges.

Drawing comparisons to the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), which imposes stringent regulations on tech companies, the speakers discussed diverse attempts to to work with stakeholders on legislation as well as other initiatives to manage online content. Effective content moderation on large digital platforms like X, TikTok, and Instagram is crucial for preventing the spread of harmful content, such as misinformation, hate speech, and digital threats from authoritarian regimes, which can destabilize societies and influence political outcomes.

Speakers included Dr. Julian Jaursch, Lead Platform Regulation at Interface; Dr. Gehan Gunatilleke, Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka and Yu Fen Lai, Program Officer at FNF Global Innovation Hub; and Céline Nauer, Project Advisor at FNF Global Innovation Hub. Various political and media professionals also participated.

Dr. Julian Jaursch emphasized that the DSA imposes binding rules across the EU, moving beyond voluntary self-regulation to ensure more effective enforcement. He noted that both supporters and critics of the DSA sometimes exploit it for political gain, occasionally misrepresenting its content or enforcement. Jaursch stressed the importance of media, users, and researchers holding these parties accountable.

Dr. Gehan Gunatilleke warned that in Sri Lanka, regulatory agendas can be hijacked by political forces to stifle dissent. He cited the rushed enactment of the Online Safety Act with minimal consultation, which has been used by political and military actors to create a chilling effect on election-related discourse. To prevent such misuse, Gunatilleke advocated for lean laws that scale back unnecessary and overbroad regulations. He also emphasized the need for a coherent legal and policy framework, the development of independent key institutions like the police and Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC), and the rebuilding of public trust in these institutions.

Yu Fen Lai raised concerns about the extensive data collection by major tech companies in Taiwan, where data privacy regulations are still lacking. She emphasized the need to address the use of personal data in political advertising and psychological targeting. Lai stressed that transparency and active engagement with stakeholders, experts, and civil society are crucial in the legislative process.