Taiwan weighs extending preschool camera footage retention to 30 days

Aug 26, 2026

Taiwan's education ministry is considering forcing every city to keep preschool security camera footage for 30 days, a change that would help parents investigating suspected abuse but that officials say is not urgent.

  • New Taipei extended its preschool camera storage from 14 days to 30 days in May, while Taipei and Kaohsiung still use shorter windows, creating a patchwork of rules across the island.
  • Lawmaker Tsai Chun-chou pressed the ministry to set one national rule, saying parents have been filing complaints because evidence disappears before problems come to light.
  • Young children often cannot explain what happened until weeks later, so a two-week window can leave nothing to investigate.
  • The ministry's current 14-day guideline is only administrative guidance, not a binding law, which is why cities set their own limits.
  • Officials said the 14-day rule has caused no problems so far and want another six months of trial before deciding on a national standard.

Outlook: The national education agency will talk with local governments about moving everyone to 30 days, but a decision is unlikely before the review period ends.

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