Deputy Minister Yi-Jing Lin expressed serious concerns on January 20 during an Executive Yuan press conference, urging the Legislative Yuan to carefully review the central government’s 2025 budget.  Deputy Minister Lin highlighted that the Ministry of Digital Affairs is crucial in cybersecurity resilience, digital industry development, and fraud prevention. However, the opposition party has recently proposed significant budget cuts to the Ministry of Digital Affairs, a move that could have far-reaching consequences for Taiwan’s digital resilience and future development.

Given its geopolitical position, Deputy Minister Lin explained that Taiwan faces an average of 2.4 million foreign cyberattacks daily. MODA provides round-the-clock cybersecurity monitoring and protection for government agencies, hospitals, banks, transportation, and critical infrastructure such as petrol, water, and electricity. A reduction in budget would directly weaken Taiwan’s ability to safeguard its critical infrastructure, creating vulnerabilities that external threats could exploit.

In addition to cybersecurity, the Ministry has established 773 non-geostationary satellite network reception sites at key military, police, and firefighting locations across Taiwan to ensure uninterrupted external communications during natural disasters or emergencies. Last year, the Ministry also completed the development of Taiwan’s first high-altitude communication balloon, providing crucial internal network support in times of crisis. Reducing the budget would restrict Taiwan’s ability to maintain and expand these critical emergency communication networks, potentially putting public safety at risk during disasters.

The rapid advancement of AI presents both opportunities and challenges for Taiwan in the development of digital industries. MODA has been actively working to support AI development through initiatives focused on computing power, data, talent, and funding. Taiwan may struggle to support AI startups and innovative enterprises without sufficient resources, leading to a missed opportunity in a globally competitive field. Budget cuts in this area could slow technological progress and weaken Taiwan’s position in the digital economy.

The Ministry has also made considerable progress in combating online fraud, particularly in reducing scams that impersonate public figures. The Ministry has implemented measures such as requiring social media platforms to enforce real-name verification for advertisements and establishing a rapid takedown mechanism for fraudulent content. These efforts have already led to a noticeable decrease in online scams. 

Many of the Ministry’s contributions, such as maintaining the Government Service Network (GSN), which supports public services and ensures a stable digital infrastructure, are often taken for granted by the public. These services are crucial for making government digital services more accessible and efficient. MODA has always been careful in allocating its budget to maximize effectiveness, ensuring that resources are optimally used. It is crucial to ensure that necessary resources remain available so that MODA can keep on strengthening Taiwan’s digital resilience and innovation. Working together across different sectors will be essential to building a more intelligent, more secure, and more sustainable digital future.