On June 2, 2023, the amendments to the Personal Data Protection Act 2015 (PDPA) officially came into effect following the President's approval and the announcement by the National Development Council (NDC) on May 31, 2023. In particular, the NDC noted that the amendments will compel non-public agencies to allocate resources, technology, and costs to fulfill their responsibility in protecting individuals' personal data. In addition, the amendments will also aid the Executive Yuan in promoting policies related to combating fraud.

The NDC stated that owing to the risk of personal data leakage being exploited by illicit groups for targeted fraudulent activities, the amendments aim to safeguard the rights and interests of the public. In addition, the NDC highlighted that non-public agencies will face penalties and mandatory corrections if they fail to rectify violations of their security maintenance obligations within the designated period, with the maximum penalty amount increased to TWD 15 million (approx. €2 million) and the possibility of additional fines for repeated violations.

Moreover, the NDC noted that the Executive Yuan will promptly establish a preparatory office for the Personal Data Protection Commission and advance the drafting of organizational laws and the second phase of amendments to the PDPA, in order to strengthen the protection of personal data for Taiwanese citizens through the establishment of an independent and dedicated authority.

You can read the press release, only available in Chinese, here.