TRA cans auctions of lost electronic goods

The TRA said that in order to observe the newly enforced Personal Information Protection Act, it will destroy lost electronic products such as notebook computers, cellphones or cameras if no one claims them within a year.

Previously, the TRA would announce the finding of lost property online. If no one claimed the item within a year, the TRA would then hold auctions. The auctions were popular as the items sold often carried expensive original prices.

Since the Act took effect last year, the TRA asked all train stations to cease holding auctions as the items may contain private information, an official said.

According to Chiayi train station's statistics, the station found 3,000 cellphones in three years. Cellphones were the most common lost property. The TRA said passengers often forget their phones in the pockets situated in front of their seats, on armrests or near the windows. The TRA said if they find a cellphone they try to contact the owner of the phone by checking the recent calls record — a method which enjoys some degree of success.

As for items like cameras, which are considered more sensitive to issues of privacy, the TRA will hand the cameras to railway police who will then announce the finding publicly for a one-year period. After this period officials will destroy the items, the TRA said.

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3 Comments

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January 22, 2013    Upwell@

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Why destroy them. Surely a computer can have its hard disk formatted and all data wiped clean. In the case of a camera the memory card can also be formatted to wipe clean. The internal or embedded memory can be wiped clean too. There are a lot of computer programs which can wipe clean any such gadgets. What a waste of resources to destroy these unclaimed items. Do think outside the square please for these officials.

January 22, 2013    elumpen@

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Upwell - I imagine "destroying" these items simply involves leaving them on a desk with a nudge and a wink, and waiting until they disappear. Obviously, any media can be easily removed or reformatted, and to destroy the entire product is an awful waste.

January 22, 2013    johnny.brian@

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Taiwan is known for its IT products, but Taiwanese government officials and other agencies know nothing about it. There are few things they can do, first contact telecom companies and informed them about the lost cell phone (for telecom providers such as Chunghwa or TWN Mobile or FET etc. to follow-up by writing an email to their subscriber); digital camera either send to 3C stores or format the flash card would be sufficient. Do not destroy things you don't know or at least recycle. Lastly, put an advertisement inside the train so the commuters would notice about their lost belongings.

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