The Personal Data Protection Office was launched July 4 in Taipei City by Chen Mei-ling, minister of the Cabinet-level National Development Council, as part of government efforts bringing Taiwan’s data protection laws more in line with EU standards.
 
This office represents another strong step forward in meeting requirements set down under the EU General Data Protection Regulation, Chen said. It will also assist in securing an adequacy decision from the European Commission on data transfers between Taiwan businesses and their counterparts in EU member states, she added.
 
Implemented in May, GDPR regulates the processing by an individual, a company or an organization of personal data relating to individuals in the EU. It does not apply to data processed by an individual for personal reasons or for activities carried out in the home, provided there is no connection to a professional or commercial activity, according to the EC.
 
The NDC said the main functions of the office are to compile a national evaluation report required for GDPR adequacy. As part of this process, there will be a full review of Taiwan’s existing regulations governing personal data protection and several expert consultations, as well as dialogue with EU agencies like the Directorate-General of Justice and Consumers.
 
Chen said big data applications and information sharing are the cornerstones of the global digital economy, and pose real challenges to lawmakers and regulators on the personal data protection front. This issue was accentuated by the advent of GDPR and forced many countries outside the EU to reassess pertinent laws and regulations, she added.
 
But the NDC is on top of the situation, Chen said, citing the establishment of the office, monitoring of related policymaking developments in Japan and South Korea, and repeated statements to the EU confirming the government’s GDPR compliance. The most recent came during Chen’s trip to Europe toward the end of May at the head of an NDC-led delegation.
 
In addition to participating in the Global Solutions Summit for policymaking leaders in Berlin, Chen visited the Federal Government of Germany and EU-related agencies. Topics for discussion included digital governance, energy transformation, industrial innovation cooperation, reaching a consensus on GDPR adequacy and the upcoming Taiwan-EU Digital Economic Forum. (SFC-E)