Deputy Minister Yi-Jing Lin of the Ministry of Digital Affairs (the MODA) was invited to speak at the Boston Global Forum about “New Democracy: Strategies for Democracy to Win in the AI Battle” and had in-depth discussions with global leaders and scholars, including the Boston Global Forum's founders Thomas Patterson and Nguyen Anh Tuan, former French Minister for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunities Élisabeth Moreno, political science professor at MIT Nazli Choucri, data scientist Alex 'Sandy' Pentland, and Taiwan's Ambassador-at-large Audrey Tang. They discussed the profound impact of AI and the strategies to address it. Deputy Minister Lin also engaged in conversations with government representatives and experts about Anti-fraud and digital identity topics.
In his remarks, Deputy Minister Lin stated that the rapid development of AI technology is an unavoidable trend, and mastering AI is the key to seize the future. He emphasized that AI brings countless opportunities in various fields. In order to ensure AI technology aligns with core values of freedom, democracy, and human rights, Taiwan must work closely with the international community. This collaboration should cover both software and hardware and lead the progress of global AI applications and prevent malicious use of technology.
To discuss the legal obligations for designated online advertising platform operators under the “Fraud Hazard Prevention Act”, Deputy Minister Lin met with Meta’s product and compliance teams during this visit to discuss the related measures planned by Meta.
Since September this year, the company has implemented additional measures to combat fraudulent advertisements online. The MODA has observed a decline in fraudulent advertisements impersonating celebrities and financial investment. This decline is consistent with the reduced number of user reports for fraudulent ads submitted to online platforms. In view of the Fraud Crime Hazard Prevention Act and continuously combat fraud ads, Meta has committed to implementing stricter advertiser verification requirements for ads targeting Taiwan and making such advertiser information more accessible. Meta has gradually launched its advertiser identity verification measures in mid-December. All advertisers who advertise to Taiwan users on Facebook and Instagram will be required to complete the verification process by providing personal or business information to verify their identity, and will be required to clearly disclose the beneficiaries and payers of the ads at the time of publishing the relevant ads. The MODA and Meta have also pledged to assist small and medium-sized businesses and individual advertisers with the verification process after the new measures are introduced, guiding the advertisers through the identity verification process for these businesses to minimize any impact on legitimate businesses’ ability to run ads.
Deputy Minister LIN also visited the Digital Credentials Consortium (DCC), a U.S.-based nonprofit organization established through the collaboration of globally renowned universities. The DCC's mission is to develop an open, standardized, and interoperable digital credential ecosystem to meet the growing demand for digital credentials in the education sector. Deputy Minister LIN engaged in discussions with the DCC team to exchange insights on digital credentials and digital identity.
Deputy Minister LIN also visited the Canadian Digital Service (CDS) and other agencies. The discussions centered on digital credentials. Both parties acknowledged that the ability for governments to issue and verify digital credentials serves as the cornerstone of a digital society and the importance of ensuring trust and interoperability among global standards.
MODA stated that Taiwan will continue to strive to build an inclusive and resilient digital society, promoting innovation and responsible application of AI and digital technologies, ensuring that the development of emerging technologies supports not only economic growth but also safeguards core values of freedom, democracy, and human rights.
