Online Drug Sales Under Scrutiny; Minister Lin Yi-ching Hopes to Apply Anti-Fraud Reporting Experience to Drug Enforcement
Minister of Digital Affairs Lin Yi-ching stated at the Legislative Yuan that the ministry plans to apply the experience from the online fraud reporting system to combat online drug sales. Following recent drug-impaired driving incidents, the ministry uses AI patrols and cross-ministerial cooperation to block illegal domains. TWNIC can remove illegal websites within 2 hours of notification.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: June 3, 2026 at 16:25
- 🔍 Collected: June 3, 2026 at 16:37 (12 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 6, 2026 at 16:42 (72h 4m after Collected)
(CNA reporter Zhao Minya, Taipei, 3rd) Amid a recent spate of drug-impaired driving incidents and lawmakers' concerns over the online circulation of drugs, Minister of Digital Affairs Lin Yi-ching stated today (3rd) that in addition to using artificial intelligence (AI) for online patrols and scanning, the ministry is also cooperating across ministries to block illegal domains. He also expressed hope to apply the experience of the online fraud reporting and inquiry system to combat drugs, allowing the public to assist in reporting, thereby facilitating the rapid confirmation and removal of related information.
The Transportation Committee of the Legislative Yuan today reviewed the central government's total budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, including the budget for the Ministry of Digital Affairs (moda) and related units. Lin Yi-ching attended the meeting to present a report and answer questions.
Recently, there have been frequent incidents of people driving under the influence of the so-called "zombie smoke bomb," a Class II narcotic called etomidate. Several lawmakers have expressed concern about the online circulation of drugs and e-cigarettes and the moda's response.
DPP Legislator Lee Kun-tse pointed out that e-cigarettes are a core carrier for emerging drugs. According to statistics released by the Health Promotion Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), from January to April this year, 11,425 items were removed from online platforms for illegally selling e-cigarettes, and 3,361 domestic and foreign illegal websites had their domain name resolution stopped (DNS RPZ). However, he believes there is a significant gap between these figures and the actual circulation rate.
Lin Yi-ching stated that sellers of prohibited items often use code names to evade detection. For example, e-cigarettes sold online might be referred to as "devices," and drugs might be called "candy." After the MOHW collects and provides keywords, the moda notifies e-commerce platforms to block them. At the same time, the moda also uses AI for online patrols and scanning. However, he noted that a balance must be struck, "otherwise, even normal candy would be impossible to buy."
Lin said the current challenge is a race against criminals. While it doesn't take long for sellers to set up a website, it takes them one to two weeks to notify potential customers to switch to a new site. Currently, the Taiwan Network Information Center (TWNIC), upon receiving a notification from the MOHW, can remove the illegal website within 2 hours, minimizing the site's lifespan.
KMT Legislator Yu Hao inquired about the blocking situation. In response, moda's Director of the Department of Resource Management, Tseng Wen-fang, stated that this year, the number of domains whose resolution was stopped via DNS RPZ was 4,100 for e-cigarettes and 14 for drugs.
Lin Yi-ching stated that in the future, he hopes to use the experience from fighting fraud, such as the online fraud reporting and inquiry system, and apply it to combating drugs, allowing the public to assist in reporting to quickly confirm and remove related information. (Editor: Yang Lanxuan) 115th year, 6th month, 3rd day.
The Transportation Committee of the Legislative Yuan today reviewed the central government's total budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, including the budget for the Ministry of Digital Affairs (moda) and related units. Lin Yi-ching attended the meeting to present a report and answer questions.
Recently, there have been frequent incidents of people driving under the influence of the so-called "zombie smoke bomb," a Class II narcotic called etomidate. Several lawmakers have expressed concern about the online circulation of drugs and e-cigarettes and the moda's response.
DPP Legislator Lee Kun-tse pointed out that e-cigarettes are a core carrier for emerging drugs. According to statistics released by the Health Promotion Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), from January to April this year, 11,425 items were removed from online platforms for illegally selling e-cigarettes, and 3,361 domestic and foreign illegal websites had their domain name resolution stopped (DNS RPZ). However, he believes there is a significant gap between these figures and the actual circulation rate.
Lin Yi-ching stated that sellers of prohibited items often use code names to evade detection. For example, e-cigarettes sold online might be referred to as "devices," and drugs might be called "candy." After the MOHW collects and provides keywords, the moda notifies e-commerce platforms to block them. At the same time, the moda also uses AI for online patrols and scanning. However, he noted that a balance must be struck, "otherwise, even normal candy would be impossible to buy."
Lin said the current challenge is a race against criminals. While it doesn't take long for sellers to set up a website, it takes them one to two weeks to notify potential customers to switch to a new site. Currently, the Taiwan Network Information Center (TWNIC), upon receiving a notification from the MOHW, can remove the illegal website within 2 hours, minimizing the site's lifespan.
KMT Legislator Yu Hao inquired about the blocking situation. In response, moda's Director of the Department of Resource Management, Tseng Wen-fang, stated that this year, the number of domains whose resolution was stopped via DNS RPZ was 4,100 for e-cigarettes and 14 for drugs.
Lin Yi-ching stated that in the future, he hopes to use the experience from fighting fraud, such as the online fraud reporting and inquiry system, and apply it to combating drugs, allowing the public to assist in reporting to quickly confirm and remove related information. (Editor: Yang Lanxuan) 115th year, 6th month, 3rd day.