Recently, a Chinese internet celebrity came to Taiwan under the guise of tourism to hold an event, but promoted information related to “assisted reproduction” such as surrogacy on social media platforms. In response to this, the Kaohsiung City Health Bureau pointed out that due to illegal medical advertising, after receiving a report from the Immigration Agency on the 22nd, they immediately sent personnel to conduct a joint inspection with relevant units and imposed a fine on the individual. The Chinese internet celebrity was fined before being deported.
The Kaohsiung City Health Bureau in Taiwan issued a press release stating that upon investigation, the said internet celebrity was not a legally established medical institution nor possessed a medical license, yet used social media to release videos calling on people to join a fan meeting event. However, the video mentioned phrases like “want to understand the Angel Plan” and “want to know how to have your own child through assisted reproduction” while using hashtags like “#ivf” (in vitro fertilization) alluding to artificial reproductive services.
The Kaohsiung City Health Bureau determined that the promotion of related content involving artificial reproduction medical services constituted medical advertising, thus violating Article 84 of the “Medical Care Act,” which states that “non-medical institutions are not allowed to advertise medical services.” Considering the significant number of followers on social media and the widespread dissemination of information, the impact was substantial. As a result, a fine of 200,000 New Taiwan Dollars was imposed to curb illegal medical advertising solicitation activities.
The Health Bureau emphasized that the current “Artificial Reproduction Act” clearly regulates the qualifications of artificial reproduction institutions, the applicable subjects, and medical procedures. Commercial surrogacy is not yet permitted in the country. If individuals have a need for artificial reproduction or assisted reproduction, they should seek legitimate artificial reproduction institutions approved by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Evaluation of applicable conditions, medical risks, and related procedures by professional doctors should be conducted rather than deciding on receiving medical services solely based on online promotions.
The Health Bureau reminded that cross-border surrogacy or unapproved reproductive consultations often involve serious medical risks and legal disputes. People should carefully verify the legality of service providers and medical institutions to avoid compromising their rights due to incomplete information. The Health Bureau will continue to strengthen inspections in collaboration with relevant agencies, and enforce laws against illegal medical advertising and solicitation of medical services to safeguard the medical safety and rights of the public.