The Executive Yuan plans to tighten cybersecurity regulations governing civilian drones, including a mandate for comprehensive testing of all commercially available models, an official said yesterday on condition of anonymity.
Former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) asked the Cabinet to produce new regulations targeting privately owned drones following reports that some Chinese-made systems were utilized during Double Ten National Day performances last year, the person said.
The rules being considered would require all drones sold on the commercial market to obtain cybersecurity certificates, and would ban the use of uncertified uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), the official said.
Photo: Lo Hsin-chen, Taipei Times
The use of uncertified drones could become punishable by a fine of up to NT$1.5 million (US$49,774) under the Civil Aviation Act (民用航空法), the person said.
Taiwan has 40,000 privately owned UAVs, including 30,000 drones registered to individuals and 10,000 to commercial entities, foundations and groups, the official said.
Chinese-made UAVs are banned for official use in Taiwan, but no restrictions are placed on private use, other than a safety rules limiting their weight and flight range.
The scheme being designed aims to regulate the private ownership and utilization of drones by establishing comprehensive standards for cybersecurity, flight safety, license verification, radio signal broadcast authorization and background checks on the users, the person said.
The certification system would be jointly managed by the Ministry of Digital Affairs, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the National Communications Commission and the Civil Aviation Administration, which is tasked with creating and managing a drone database, the official said.
The aviation authority is expected to hold a public forum to discuss the matter within the next few weeks, then unveil regulatory amendments next month and have them promulgated in April, the person said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Digital Affairs plans to open a drone cybersecurity inspection facility on March 1 to test the estimated 1,000 types of drones being used in Taiwan before the year’s end, the official said.
The ministry plans to introduce restrictions on privately owned UAVs to protect public safety, national secrets at sensitive sites, air traffic and the security of officials, the person said, adding that a sunset clause would protect existing drones that do not meet the proposed new standards.
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