Basically, unless we retroactively check who comes through the border, [laughs] then we’re in even bigger trouble, because we haven’t done it for months.
In terms of artificial intelligence data, how Taiwan used data, what do you think was the most successful strategy in fighting the pandemic?
How has Taiwan managed to keep the issue non-political? We’ve seen some countries that have tying themselves in knots, because it’s become a very political issue.
How has Taiwan managed to avoid that?
Would you say the public have been looking more to scientists than politicians for…
True. Taiwan’s very lucky in that sense.
Can I ask you briefly on disinformation? Taiwan has been on the front line of disinformation from China and presumably others, but definitely from China, for years now.
Is that the best weapon to counter it? What would be your lessons for other parts of the world that are starting to see more disinformation?
How does that work out in a…
How do you do that? Can you give some examples?
Premier’s buttocks? [laughs]
Yeah.
I didn’t notice that at first.
That’s very funny. The premier didn’t mind being used?
Where was that initially unleashed then? Was it online? Was it on Facebook?
The creator just started putting it out on social media?
After that meme?
Wow.
Really?
Funny.
How did you discover that?
That was a local tissue…or international?
Is there not some kind of penalty for that.
Were the tissue paper vendors…
It’s being investigated?
That’s interesting. It’s an excellent example. Are there any other examples that you can…
Yeah, that come to mind. It’s becoming a bigger issue around the world.
Especially as…
“Hong Kong thugs compensation exposed. Kill a police and earn up to 20 million.” Can I take a picture of it?
It was the Chinese state that did the…
Would you say that the Chinese state has people doing this full time, pumping out disinformation…
It’s part of the government structure?
Typical, isn’t it?
To counter the flood of disinformation that’s coming out or active operations, as you said, you need some full-time…
…experts who are dedicated to that.
Are other countries, Western countries, doing enough to counter this kind of disinformation?
I like that. That’s what we need. Would you say that Taiwan is leading the way then, globally, on countering disinformation?
How many dedicated experts do you have, do you think, looking at this and actively countering?
They would flag it to one of these…
Like AFP, the news agency, has a fact-checker?
Have you noticed an uptick in disinformation coming from the PRC recently?
In the time of the pandemic, it appears that China has…
Yeah, and more motivation to distract.
Have you noticed that?
In Brazil.
Is the best way to fight disinformation reactive or more proactive? You said…
Is that going on?
Sticking with disinformation, it’s not just the PRC that’s putting out disinformation. What if you have a global leader with a very large following on social media who is putting out disinformation, how do you counter that?
