2019-04-29
Criminal Sanctions Enhanced and Expanded for Spreading False Market Information
In order to prevent the panick causes by false market information, such as the “toilet paper mania” one, a run on toilet paper and price increases sparked by a rumor of a shortage of toilet paper in 2018, the Executive Yuan has approved draft an amendment to of Taiwan’s Criminal Code.
Currently, Article 251 of the Criminal Code stipulates that those who disseminate false information with the intention of affecting the prices of produce, agricultural products such as prison, and other food products will be subject to a penalty, sentence of up to two years, detention, in lieu thereof or in addition there to a fine of up to NT$ 200,000.
The purpose of the proposed amendment is to increase the length of the sentence by fifty percent for those who spread false information on the Internet or by other similar means of electronic communication and to expand the scope of application to essential necessities, such as toilet paper.
Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Pi-Chung Tsai, indicated that a detailed list of items to which Article 251 can apply under the proposed amendment will be announced after discussions with other Ministries.
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