Taiwan Govt Most Likely to Exclude Flag and Gender from New ID Card

The Taiwan government will most probably exclude the Taiwan flag and gender from the new ID card. The National Development Council (NDC) chief, Chen Meiling said the new digital eID will be a key 'that will open' all kinds of information. Chen said the card will likely only display a person's name, ID, and photo. Their spouse, parents and place of birth will be concealed.

The launch of the new digital ID for Taiwanese citizens is slated for October 2020. Chen said the cards may no longer show the gender of the cardholder on the surface. "However, such information will be saved in the card's chip with three groups - male, female and transgender, represented by different numbers." This new measure will free the transgender people from having to choose a gender they may not agree with for their ID cards.

Furthermore, Chen said the card will eventually incorporate the holder's driving license and National Health Insurance card. But, she said this will be achieved in a phased manner.

Hsu Kuo-yung, the Minister of the Interior, said the card was still in process. Hsu said they are currently open to opinions. "During the rule of both Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo, there were periods when the ID cards did include the national flag and others when they did not."

Over the years, the Taiwanese government has been contemplating replacing the current ID card with a multi-functional and anti-forgery one.