00:04An AI voice assistant guides drivers through traffic.
00:08This is Gaode Map, a Chinese navigation app now available in Taiwan.
00:13But it has raised national security concerns about how it gathers data,
00:17and authorities are deciding whether to ban its use by government agencies.
00:39The app was developed by China's Alibaba Group and is known as A-Map.
00:45It's drawn attention here in Taiwan for its 3D street views and highly detailed maps.
00:51A particular feature is a traffic light countdown,
00:54something widely used apps in Taiwan like Google Maps don't offer.
00:58We're testing the Gaode countdown at a traffic light near the presidential office,
01:02and it looks like the app's timer runs faster than the real thing, but it's already pretty close.
01:08And when searching Taiwan presidential office on the app,
01:12it may return results for the presidential palace scenic area in Nanjing, China.
01:17Experts say the map likely relies on data shared from users' phones,
01:21such as GPS location, and uses modeling to estimate traffic light wait times.
01:27To make those models accurate, it needs a large user base,
01:31essentially relying on crowd sourcing.
01:33And there could also be hidden motives behind this data gathering.
01:37We have seen many of the apps on social media platforms,
01:42likeć°´ĺ† , etc.
01:44We have seen a lot of apps like watercats,
01:45especially in the small areas of the area,
01:46for some features to improve the eyes of the world's eye.
01:48Like I said earlier, the red light, the green light, the數 of the bell, etc.
01:52But we have seen them through this area,
01:54and through this area, we have seen some features of the users' attention,
01:57and through this way, we have seen them through this.
01:59And given the Chinese government's power to compel companies to hand over user data, the routine movements of users in
02:07Taiwan could potentially be fully visible, and even sensitive information could be accessed or inferred.
02:33With these security concerns, the Digital Affairs Ministry is now conducting security tests on Gauden map, and will release its
02:41findings next month.
02:42Devin Tsai and Ellen Lu for Taiwan Plus.
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