Taiwan has joined a European Union-led initiative to promote high data protection and privacy standards, the country’s National Development Council (NDC) said in a press statement on Wednesday.
The statement said Taiwan signed the Joint Declaration on Privacy and the Protection of Personal Data last Saturday at the EU’s invitation.
Other countries that have signed the joint declaration, which was first issued in February, include Australia, Comoros, India, Japan, Mauritius, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Thailand.
According to the European External Action Service (EEAS), the declaration aims to strengthen trust in the digital environment by effectively protecting personal data.
The agency said on its website that a “lack of trust in how data is handled has negatively impacted our diverse societies and economies.”
Under the declaration, the signatories commit to “foster and further develop international policy discussions and cooperation regarding data protection and cross-border data flows” in the Indo-Pacific region, Europe, and beyond, the EEAS said.
They will work to achieve comprehensive legal frameworks and policies covering both the private and public sectors and promote core principles such as lawfulness, fairness, transparency, and the rights of individuals, according to the EEAS.
The NDC said in a statement that joining the declaration would allow Taiwan to strengthen its cooperation with international partners in promoting a safe and reliable environment where personal data is protected and cross-border data flows are secure.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel