Taipei: The Legislature passed amendments to the Social Order Maintenance Act, increasing penalties for ticket scalping, noise disturbances, and stalking offenses.
According to Focus Taiwan, the maximum fine for unauthorized resale of transportation or entertainment tickets for non-personal use will rise from NT$18,000 (US$601.66) to NT$30,000 (US$1,002.36). The Legislature also passed a resolution emphasizing that while the Social Order Maintenance Act typically handles minor offenses with administrative penalties, scalping can lead to significant illegal profits and seriously harm consumers' interests.
The resolution highlighted that the Cultural and Creative Industries Act and the Sports Industry Development Act already address ticket scalping for cultural and sports events, including criminal penalties for these offenses. For other tickets, such as medical and hospitality vouchers, the resolution urged relevant authorities to discuss amending laws on ticket scalping within two months.
The amendments aim to effectively prevent ticket scalping by targeting the root of the problem and enforcing stronger penalties. Additionally, the amendments increase the maximum fine for noise disturbances from NT$6,000 to NT$10,000.
Fines for stalking someone without valid reasons, even after being warned to stop, will increase from NT$3,000 to NT$30,000.