Wang Talu Sentenced to 6 Months for Data Privacy Violation; Prosecutors Appeal for Leniency

Central News Agency (New Taipei, May 29) Actor Wang Talu used friends to contact police to look up the personal data of a draft-dodging ring leader, Chen Chih-ming, and hired gang members to look up others' data to help his girlfriend collect debts. Wang and his girlfriend were each sentenced to 6 months in prison for violating the Personal Data Protection Act. Prosecutors, deeming the sentence too lenient, have appealed the entire case. The New Taipei District Prosecutors Office stated today that after receiving the verdict, they found the sentencing for the guilty counts too light and argued that the court erred in its fact-finding and legal application regarding the acquittal counts. The case originated from Wang paying 3.6 million TWD to avoid military service, believing he was scammed, and seeking help from police officer Liu Ju-jung to access police systems. Liu was sentenced to 1 year and 4 months for forgery.