The Ministry of Digital Affairs yesterday rolled out test versions of a mobile anti-fraud app that enables users to check if an advertisement had been reported to the authorities as suspicious.
The Online Fraud Reporting Inquiry app (網詐通報查詢網) — available for download on iOS and Android — also allows users to report ads to the government for investigation and potential removal, the ministry said in a news release.
The ministry has been conducting internal tests of the app since August and is expected to release the full version in the final quarter of next year.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Digital Affairs
Users can see whether a Web site has previously been reported for fraud by entering its URL into the app, the ministry said.
Public figures and celebrities wanting to stop unauthorized use of their name can use the app to make a fast-track report, it said, adding that mechanisms to remove scam ads have been established with Google, Facebook, Instagram, Line and other social media platforms.
The ministry additionally made use of algorithms that flag dubious celebrity endorsements for officials to verify, it said.
According to the app, users reported 55,000 ads as possible scams in the past month, 27,000 of which were later confirmed to be fraudulent, the ministry said.
The rest were sorted according to the threat level they posed, and removed or flagged, it said.
The ministry late last month said it would publish a preview of an anti-fraud bill requiring platforms to remove fake advertisements within 24 hours of being notified, it said.
The proposed legislation would impose a NT$500,000 to NT$10 million (US$15,643 to US$312,862) fine on platforms for failure to comply, the ministry said, adding that severe offenders could be fined NT$100 million and blocked.
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