Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council says it will take measures to protect Taiwanese people’s privacy and personal data stored by Hong Kong’s Next Digital media group. That’s after Hong Kong’s High Court approved the local government’s petition to have the company liquidated.
Next Digital has been the target of Hong Kong authorities since Hong Kong introduced a controversial national security law at the behest of Beijing in June of last year. Shortly afterwards, the company’s stock was suspended from trading, its main publication, Apple Daily, was forced to close, and the group’s founder, Jimmy Lai was jailed. Next Digital owns one of the highest-circulation newspapers in Taiwan, also called Apple Daily, which is rumored to be rapidly running out of funds.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said on Wednesday that the right to privacy is guaranteed by the Taiwanese constitution, and media entities are allowed to handle personal data only for the specific purpose of reporting. After that purpose has been met,the information should be deleted and no longer processed or used. The council says that authorities will take action if the freedoms of Taiwanese people are infringed upon or underhanded influence is extended to Taiwan during Next Digital’s liquidation process.