Hau to continue monitoring Apple Daily

Hau made the remarks in response to the fact that the Apple Daily on Saturday established a rating system for its online animated news, which classifies its news contents into

two categories — restricted and unrestricted — with the restricted contents labeled with a warning against viewing by underage audience.

“Because there had been serious offenses, the city Bureau of Social Affairs will keep monitoring the online animated news contents for a while to see if the rating system can comply with the regulations and requirements of the Children and Youth Welfare Act,” Hau said.

Meanwhile, Minister of the Interior Jiang Yi-huah said it needs some time to observe whether the news rating system can bar children and juveniles from viewing restricted online content.

The Taipei City Government imposed fines of NT$1 million on the Apple Daily, and Mayor Hau ordered all city schools and public libraries to stop subscribing to the newspaper after news stories were found to have been presented in an obscene manner on the paper's Animated News Web site.

Starting Nov. 16, the online news service showed animated reports on news stories, such as domestic violence, sexual abuse and murder, using often disturbing motion graphics and narration to report the news.

The city barred the subscriptions, Hau explained, because Apple Daily readers can easily use their cell phones to scan a 2D bar code printed on the newspaper to gain access to the media group's Action News Web site, which does not separate content using a rating system. A 2D bar code, also known as quick response (QR) code, printed on the newspaper provides easy access to the Action News videos. Using cell phones to scan the code, readers can immediately watch the animated news clips on their mobile phones.

The way the news content was presented on the Web site has sparked anger among parents, educators and civil groups.

Nevertheless, the Apple Daily said yesterday it will take all possible legal actions against Taipei City Government and Mayor Hau for conducting a “coercion offense.”

“The rude behaviors of Hau and his government have undermined the freedom of the press as they have obviously obstructed the Apple Daily from releasing news,” a newspaper spokesman told reporters, noting that the daily cannot accept the treatment and will file a lawsuit next week.

In response, Hau told reporters yesterday that he does not think the lawsuit will be accepted by the court.

“I'm personally willing to shoulder the responsibility” to protect the young people's living environment from “media pollution,” Hau said, while speaking at the ninth National Prayer Breakfast held at the Taipei International Convention Center.

In addition, city government spokeswoman Chao Hsin-ping yesterday defended the city's actions by saying that the measures to bar the Apple Daily and Action News on campus are all designed to protect minors.

The city government has not violated the law with its actions, Chao said, adding it does not know what legal grounds the media outlet can use to file the lawsuit.

Chao also called for the nation's top media regulator, the National Communications Commission (NCC), to work out regulations on using motion graphics to present a news story.

According to Internet rating management measures listed in the Children and Youth Welfare Law, excessively detailing criminal conduct, such as murders, or describing sexual behavior with actions, video, words and narration should be rated as “restricted.”

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