The Digital Ministry commented on RightsCon’s significance on its opening day this Monday. At the international press conference, Digital Minister Huang Yen-nun (黃彥男) thanked the event organizers for recognizing the people and government of Taiwan’s dedication to democracy and freedom, and said Taiwan will be a stronghold for such values in the international democratic alliance.
The 13th RightsCon is taking place in Taiwan for the first time over four days, during which thousands of local and international participants will join sessions pertaining to AI governance, cybersecurity, social media, mobile technology, digital rights, disinformation, censorship, and more.
Tseng Po-yu (曾柏瑜), Doublethink Lab co-founder and researcher, says the conference gives people the opportunity to explore how to respond to non-democratic and totalitarian infiltration through international cooperation and digital resilience. Taiwan is no stranger to digital warfare having faced misinformation and cyber attacks from China, says Tseng. She adds that targets of the attacks go beyond just the government, they also infiltrate civil society, the media, and even businesses.
Huang says the Digital Ministry is actively promoting Taiwan in the international field by adhering to values of trust, equality, resilience, sustainability, freedom, diversity, and innovative growth. He noted three main factors by which the ministry’s vision is being achieved: enhancing national digital resilience, driving digital economic development, and actively promoting anti-fraud. Huang noted that hosting RightsCon is an important milestone in the nation’s digital diplomacy.
U.S.-based non-profit Access Now says Taiwan is a leading democracy in the region, recognized globally for the freest online environment and greatest human freedom in Asia, a whole-of-society approach to human rights, and a vibrant civil society community.