misinformation in Taiwan

Ko Wen-je Criticized Over Cyber-Army Allegations

Brian Hioe
Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je and his administration have come under fire with accusations that PTT accounts run by Taipei city government employees are used as part of a “cyber-army” aimed at improving Ko’s public image. PTT is an Internet forum popularly used in Taiwan, sometimes compared to Reddit in other parts of the world. The criticisms of Ko, as advanced by pan-Green politicians, broke out into controversy after a report by the Taipei city government...
EnglishJune 2022Politics6 min read

Rumors About Lee Teng-hui’s Death Show How Online Influencers Are a Weak Link for Misinformation

Brian Hioe
Rumors that former president Lee Teng-hui had died swept across social media late yesterday night, with many online influencers posting tributes to and eulogies for Lee. Although Lee's health is poor and he is currently hospitalized, such rumors were unfounded. However, as rumors regarding Lee's death were primarily amplified by social media influencers, this gestures toward how online influencers prove a weak link where issues regarding disinformation and misinformation in Taiwan are concerned...
EnglishJuly 2020Politics6 min read

Taiwan News Publishes COVID-19 Misinformation as Epidemic Spreads

Brian Hioe
In the midst of the Coronavirus epidemic, publishing unsubstantiated rumors and misinformation poisons the well of public discourse, and performs a disservice to society. Perhaps the most egregious example of this in domestic English-language media is Taiwan News, an online media platform owned by Luis Ko, the CEO of I-Mei Foods, a major Taiwanese brand. Taiwan News recently published a number of articles making extraordinary claims about the COVID-19 outbreak in China. Two articles in particular deserve additional scrutiny; both were written by Keoni Everington, whose bylines list him as either “editor” or “staff writer” ...
EnglishFebruary 2020Politics18 min read