The government's plan on relaxing the wiretapping law has caused human rights concern. The Ministry of Justice is working with the National Security Bureau and other agencies on a bill to give prosecutors access to telecommunications records and the authority to wiretap people without permission granted by judges. This has sparked debate on abuse of power and human rights violations.


The government's top priority right now seems to be waging war on "fake news." At present, the hands of police and prosecutors are tied when it comes to accessing private telecommunications records. The Ministry of Justice, National Security Bureau and other government agencies are now drafting revisions to give access to prosecutors. Prosecutors had access up until five years ago, but laws were changed after the Special Investigation Division wiretapping scandal to require permission from judges and only in "special crime" cases.

There are many restrictions when it comes to getting access to communications records. We want to relax these restrictions. We are not trying to expand (our power). It's just that we want to give our prosecutor colleagues more reasonable room to prosecute cases under current laws.
The pan-blue camp is condemning this as moving backwards, saying the Democratic Progressive Party loves to talk about human rights but has no qualms violating people's human rights to influence the elections.

They are now using the Communication Security and Surveillance Act, to put it nicely, to speed up (investigations). In reality, however, didn't the Democratic Progressive Party used to love to talk about its commitment to human rights?

The slightest misstep can result in a human rights violation. This also violates freedom of speech. We call on the government to take a step back and carefully review the ramifications of what it is doing. This would be a much more appropriate way to proceed.

Legal experts also blasted the government, saying this is an unconscionable move in the absence of evidence the current system is not working.

Unless having adequate evidence showing the current system with judges doesn't work and there is no other choice but to give prosecutors this right -- this has not been demonstrated in any way to date.

Lin Chia-ho says when a government moves to deprive citizens of their fundamental right to privacy, it needs to be able to justify it and also establish concrete safeguards against government abuse. In the absence of this, the DPP is setting itself up for yet another human rights controversy.