隨著資訊科技之進步，電腦已成為現代生活之必需品，而資安及隱私亦隨之成為現代社會的重要課題!
據媒體報導，男大學生因懷疑女友另結新歡，暗中在女友的筆電中安裝監控軟體，設定每數分鐘自動回傳將螢幕截圖，已掌握其一舉一動。
此種監控他人私生活之行為顯已觸犯《刑法》第315之1 條 : 「無故利用『工具』或『設備』 窺視、竊聽」或無故以『錄音』、『照相』、『錄影』或『電磁紀錄』竊錄」他人非公開之活動、言論、談話或隱私部位者，處3年以下有期徒刑、拘役或30萬以下罰金」 (下稱「妨害秘密罪」)。因為，無論是手機APP、電腦監控軟體竊錄裝置、或利用針孔攝影機、竊聽器等器材窺探他人隱私，皆符合上述「妨害秘密罪」之構成要件。
至於夫妻一方為蒐集對方通姦行為之證據而為之監控，是否因非屬「無故」而不構成此罪，實務曾有判決 (最高法院102年台上字2300號) 認為；所謂「無故」，係指「欠缺法律上正當理由者」而言，但縱有保護法律上權利之原因，亦應間衡「侵害手段」與「法益保障」，以避免流於恣意。夫妻雙方固互負忠貞以保障婚姻純潔之道德上或法律上之義務，然非認配偶之一方須因而有被迫接受他方全盤監控自己生活及社會人際關係互動之義務。故藉口調查配偶外遇，並非法律上正當旅遊，仍將構成犯罪。
又依《通訊保障及監察法》第24條第1項規定: 「違法監察他人通訊者，處五年以下有期徒刑。」雖有學說指出本法之適用對象僅限於「執行通訊監察之公務員」，實則，該項條文並未限縮適用對象，且實務見解 (如: 最高法院97年在台上字456號判決) 亦指出，此項犯罪為「告訴乃論」，與公務員犯罪為「非告訴乃論」之原則不符，可見其規範主體應及於「一般人」。因此，違法監控他人通訊軟體、簡訊、電話語音等，均可能適用此犯罪，而將面臨較上述「妨害秘密罪」 (3年以下) 更嚴厲的刑罰 (5年以下)!
再者，暗中安裝監控軟體之行為，亦可能構成《刑法》第358、359之「妨害電腦使用罪」；無故輸入他人帳號密碼、破解保護措施或利用系統漏洞「入侵」他人電腦或相關設備，或無故「取得」他人電腦及相關設備之電磁紀錄，將可處3年或5年以下之有期徒刑。
另外，販賣監控設備或監控軟體之業者給有心人士亦有刑責。按依《刑法》第315之2規定，「意圖營利」供給「場所」、「工具」或「設備」，便利他人為監控之行為者，處五年以下有期徒刑。且此條犯罪為「非告訴乃論」，即便與被害人和解，亦無法撤回告訴。不過，業者仍須具備認識犯罪之「故意」 (即: 知道買家將以此設備進行非法監控)，才會構成犯罪。
「隱私權」保護個人的私密領域不受侵擾，乃是維護人性尊嚴及人格發展不可或缺的權利。現代社會科技發達，各式監控設備唾手可得，但科技應用於正途，萬不可以此作為窺探、監控他人私生活之工具，且我國法律亦已對此設有嚴格規範，切勿以身試法!
With the rapid advancement of information technology, computers have become essential to modern life, and issues related to cybersecurity and personal privacy have become increasingly important in today’s society.
According to media reports, a male college student, suspicious that his girlfriend might be seeing someone else, secretly installed surveillance software on her laptop. The program was set to automatically capture and send screenshots every few minutes, allowing him to track her every move.
This kind of surveillance of someone’s private life clearly violate Article 315-1 of the Crime Code, which states: “Anyone who uses instruments or equipment without reason to peep at or eavesdrop on other’s non-public activities, speeches, talks, or the private part of the body, or who uses audio recording, photographic, visual-taping, or electromagnetic means without reason to record other’s non-public activities, speeches, talks, or the private bodily part shall be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than three years, short-term imprisonment, or a fine of not more than three hundred thousand yuan.” This is referred to as the “offense of infringing on privacy.” This applies to any use of mobile apps, computer surveillance software, hidden cameras, bugging devices, or similar tools to secretly observe or record someone’s private – these all fall under the crime of infringing on privacy.
As for whether one spouse can legally monitor the other to collect evidence of an affair, there has been a ruling by the Supreme Court of Taiwan (Judgement No. 2300, Year 102) addressing this issue. The court explained that the term “without reason” in the law refers to a lack of legitimate legal justification. Even if someone claims they are protecting their legal rights, the method of intrusion must still be weighed against the rights being protected. Otherwise, it becomes an abuse of power. While spouses do have a mutual duty of loyalty to maintain the integrity of the marriage, this does not mean one partner has the right to fully monitor the other’s private life or social interactions. Therefore, using the excuse of investigating a suspected affair is not considered a valid legal reason – it can still be a criminal act.
According Article 24, Paragraph 1 of the Communication Security and Surveillance Act in Taiwan: “Persons convicted of illegally monitoring other people's communications are subject to a fixed-term imprisonment of no more than five years.” Although some legal scholars argue that this law only applies to government officials who carry out official communication surveillance, the wording of the law does not limit its application in that way. In fact, the Supreme Court (Judgement No. 456, Year 97) has ruled that this crime requires a formal complaint to proceed (known as a “complainant offense”), which is different from crimes committed by public officials (usually “non-complainant offenses”). This suggests the law applies not only to officials, but also to ordinary people. Therefore, if someone illegally monitors another person’s communication – such as messaging apps, text messages, or phone calls – they could be charged under this law, which carries a more severe penalty (up to 5 years in prison) than the general offense of “infringing on personal privacy” (which is punishable by up to 3 years).
Moreover, secretly installing monitoring software may also constitute the crime of Obstructing the Use of a Computer under Article 358 and 359 of the Criminal Code. If someone, without authorization, logs into another person’s account using their password, bypass security protections, or exploits system vulnerabilities to “hack into” another person’s computer or related devices, or unlawfully “accesses” data stored on those devices, they may be sentenced to up to 3 or even 5 years in prison, depending on the severity of the offense.
In addition, businesses or individuals who sell surveillance devices or monitoring software to people with malicious intent may also face criminal liability. According to Article 315-2 of the Criminal Code: “A person who for purpose of gain provides a locality or an instrument to facilitate another to engage in an act specified in the preceding article shall be sentenced to imprisonment for less than five years.” The type of crime is classified as a non-complainant offense, meaning that even if the victim forgives the offender or reaches a settlement, the prosecution will still proceed and cannot be withdrawn. However, in order to be held criminally responsible, the seller must have acted knowingly – that is, they must have known the buyer intended to use the equipment for illegal surveillance.
The right to privacy is essential to protecting one’s personal space, dignity, and the development of personality. In today’s high-tech world, surveillance tools are easily accessible, but technology should be used responsibly – not as a weapon to spy on other’s private lives. Taiwan’s laws have the strict rules against such misuse. Do not test the law by violating someone’s privacy!