Taiwan's government is investigating claims that Chinese agents infiltrated overseas Taiwanese community groups and handed their member lists to Beijing — bad news for Taiwanese living abroad, who could now face pressure or retaliation.

• A lawmaker raised the leak in parliament, and the head of the Overseas Community Affairs Council confirmed an investigation is under way.
• The pattern described: money and favors used to buy people off, founders squeezed out, and Beijing-friendly proxies installed to take over groups.
• China's new "national unity" law is being used to push this repression across borders, making it harder for Taiwanese abroad to organize.
• AI deepfake videos smearing the council's chief as a junkets-and-tourism traveler are circulating, seen as an effort to scare officials into staying home.

Outlook: Taiwan plans to build legal channels with other governments and train its overseas communities to spot deepfakes and influence campaigns, but the pressure is expected to intensify.