President's Warning on Election Disinformation and Bot Accounts
Taiwan's elections are facing a wave of suspicious online activity, and President Lai Ching-te is warning his party to stay alert as voting day nears.
- A flood of suspicious social media accounts registered with overseas phone numbers but listing Taiwan as their location have been spamming comments and flooding news posts to try to steer public opinion.
- Several candidates' campaign websites in cities including Taipei, Kaohsiung, and Hsinchu were hit with traffic attacks meant to knock them offline, which Lai called a cybersecurity issue, not just normal campaign rivalry.
- Misleading claims about public policies — including cash handouts, health insurance exemptions for people over 65, and drunk/drugged driving law changes — are being spread in closed social media groups.
- Lai is urging party officials and candidates to stay calm, verify information through official fact-check channels, and avoid letting fake news sway voters.
Outlook: Expect disinformation and cyberattacks tied to the election to keep intensifying as voting day approaches, with authorities and campaigns leaning harder on fact-checking efforts to counter it.