Taiwan Turnaround: Are regulators killing innovation?

In part 4 and the finale of the Taiwan Turnaround series looking at how Taiwan’s internet tech scene is catching up, TechNode looks at the effects that regulations have had on the startup economy and how the government plans to be more accommodating. Read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

In February 2017, Uber was forced to suspend its operations in Taiwan after the government deemed the ride offering app as breaching transportation laws and passed penalties of as high as TWD 25 million per infraction  (around $827,000) against unregistered drivers. While Uber is no stranger to run-ins with regulators, this fine was the highest the ride-hailing company had faced anywhere in the world.

“These developments directly threaten the interest of over a million Taiwanese citizens [who offer rides through Uber],” Uber Asia Pacific’s regional general manager Mike Brown wrote in an open letter to the authority. “They also send a clear message to would-be startups to steer clear of Taiwan, deterring both local entrepreneur and foreign investment.”

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