Web cafes closed during crackdown

During summer vacation, more teenagers tend to spend the day at Internet cafes. New Taipei City is currently home to 157 unlicensed Internet cafes. Nearly a third of these illegally admit underage teenagers.

Cafe Free Space (自由空間) was not only caught admitting underage teens 18 times, but also permitted a 6-year-old child in the shop. Hou, who was enraged at the sight, immediately brought the child to the Taipei City Police Department Juvenile Affairs Division (JAD) and penalized the cafe proprietor.

Hou said 70 of the 157 unlicensed Internet cafes have gone out of business. Another 55 that illegally admitted underage teenagers were immediately ordered to shut down.

As of yesterday, Hou said, the city government's inspection team began reexamining 18 unlicensed Internet cafes that have repeatedly disobeyed orders. Hou strongly emphasized that shops corrupting teenagers should absolutely be discontinued in New Taipei City.

During the first reexamination yesterday morning, inspectors found 15 underage teenagers in an Internet cafe. The cafe, situated in Park Road in Banciao District, also granted access to a 6-year-old child.

The child, said the JAD, was accompanied by his 12-year-old brother. The elder brother brought his sibling to the cafe because their parents locked their computer and were out at work.

Hou said, the city government will continue the reexamination. Illegal Internet cafe businesses are warned, and there will be zero tolerance for further crime.

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