Taiwan Ministry Flags Gaode Maps for High-Risk Data Collection, National Security Concerns

Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Development has revealed significant cybersecurity concerns surrounding the Chinese navigation app Gaode Maps. The ministry announced on May 27 that the app exhibits 11 high-risk behaviors, leading to its classification as a product that endangers national information and communication security.

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The app requests access to sensitive permissions unrelated to its core functions, such as transmitting data while closed, and reading users' calendars, contact lists, health records, and device identifiers, among 11 other risk behaviors.

The ministry's investigation found that Gaode Maps requests access to sensitive permissions not essential for its navigation functions. These include transmitting data while closed and reading user calendars, contact lists, health records, and device identifiers. Such extensive data access raises alarms about potential privacy violations and misuse of personal information, including risks of exploitation by criminal groups for fraudulent activities.

Furthermore, the app's features, such as countdowns for traffic lights and 3D street views, could be cross-referenced with collected data. This could potentially reveal the travel patterns and daily routines of individuals, posing a security risk to government officials and important public servants by exposing their movements. The long-term collection and analysis of location and personal data could escalate to national security threats, including intelligence gathering and surveillance of sensitive facilities.

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If Gaode Maps secretly collects users' geographic location and other sensitive personal information over a long period, it could further analyze and grasp individuals' activity trajectories, residences, workplaces, and daily routines, increasing the risk of personal privacy being violated and data being misused (e.g., by criminal groups for fraud).

The ministry has prohibited government agencies from using Gaode Maps, highlighting the broader societal concern over the potential data and security risks posed by Chinese-made applications operating in Taiwan.

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The app's features, such as traffic light countdowns and 3D street views, could be cross-referenced to infer the itineraries, movement trajectories, and activity patterns of specific individuals, increasing the risk of exposure and personal safety for heads of government agencies and important public servants.