MADE IN CHINA? Software and hardware were allegedly bought from China, despite rules against such purchases, and then reported to have been manufactured locally
Taipei Times
Date: Dec 04, 2017
By: Hsieh Chun-lin, Wu Cheng-fong and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporters, with staff writer
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office and the Agency Against Corruption have discovered that National
Passengers use biometric e-Gates at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Sept. 13, 2011. Photo: Tony Yao, Taipei Times
Immigration Agency (NIA) officials bought biometric equipment from China for use in the e-Gates in the nation’s three major airports, sources said on Saturday.
The biometric equipment, which has been in use since 2012 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Kaohsiung International Airport and Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport), allows fast-track passport control for frequent travelers by using biometric verification methods such as facial recognition and fingerprint identification, and might have been compromised by China-made software and equipment, sources told the Liberty Times (the sister paper of the Taipei Times) on condition of anonymity.
The allegation has alarmed government investigators and security experts, who fear the e-Gates would be vulnerable to hacks by China or other groups seeking to obtain privileged information, or to circumvent travel restrictions on criminals or others, sources said. [FULL STORY]
