Taiwan seeks to block China-run youth platform

Taipei, Aug. 5 (CNA) Taiwan's government will work with relevant agencies to seek the removal or blocking of a Chinese platform targeting Taiwanese youths over alleged violations of the Cross-Strait Act, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said Wednesday.

Speaking after a legislative session, Chiu said the "Taiwan Youth e-Home" (台青e家) platform purported to help Taiwanese youths find educational and employment opportunities in China, activities he said violated Articles 23 and 34 of the act.

Article 23 requires individuals and organizations to obtain prior government approval before recruiting students in Taiwan on behalf of Chinese educational institutions.

Meanwhile, Article 34 permits advertisements or promotional activities in Taiwan for Chinese goods, services or other matters only if authorized under the act.

Chiu also warned that users could face significant risks by submitting personal information through the platform.

He accused Beijing of using the platform to "govern Taiwan before unification" and conduct public opinion and psychological warfare against Taiwan.

The platform's direct outreach to Taiwanese students was "a very serious matter," Chiu said, adding that the MAC would coordinate with other agencies to have it removed or blocked.

As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, CNA was still able to access the platform from Taiwan.

"Taiwan Youth e-Home" was launched on July 15 with the stated aim of "better supporting the integrated development of young people across the Taiwan Strait," according to an introduction published July 22 by China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO).

The platform is divided into four main sections covering internships, employment, exchanges and education. It also provides information on Chinese provinces and cities, government policies and the experiences of Taiwanese youths in China.

Its internship and employment sections allow users to search for vacancies and submit applications online, while the education section compiles admissions policies, application procedures and academic programs offered by Chinese universities, the TAO said.

Responding to an earlier MAC warning that the platform could be used to collect personal information from Taiwanese youths and later exploit it to pressure them, TAO spokesperson Chen Binhua (陳斌華) dismissed the concerns as "deliberate smears" at a July 29 news briefing.

"Are there any online job-search platforms in the Taiwan region that do not require users to provide their names or submit résumés?" Chen asked, directing the question at Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Chen said nearly 2,000 companies had joined the platform and posted almost 6,000 vacancies.

He said the platform adheres to a "minimum necessary" principle when collecting information and strictly protects job seekers' personal data in accordance with the law.