Taiwanese actor Darren Wang has been sentenced to six months’ jail for unlawfully obtaining personal data, following a ruling by the New Taipei District Court on April 22.
His girlfriend, entertainer Chueh Mu-hsuan, received the same sentence for also breaching the Personal Data Protection Act in a separate case.
Both may apply to have their jail terms commuted to fines under Taiwanese law.
According to Taiwanese media reports, the case arose from a series of disputes involving Wang, 34, who is also known by his Chinese name Wang Ta-lu.
Prosecutors said Wang had paid NT$3.6mil (RM451,803) to an illegal draft-dodging syndicate operated by a ringleader surnamed Chen to evade mandatory conscription.
Wang allegedly also faked having a heart condition to get an exemption.
When Wang, who shot to fame with the popular romance film Our Times (2015), suspected he had been cheated, he sought to track down those involved.
Men in Taiwan have to fulfil mandatory military service for a year. The conscription age is 18, though deferment is often granted to those who want to pursue higher education.
But all able-bodied men must serve in the military by the time they turn 36.
Investigations found that Wang turned to an associate, who contacted police officer Liu Chu-jung for assistance. Liu subsequently accessed confidential databases and passed personal information through intermediaries.
The court also examined a separate incident involving Chueh, who reportedly lost about NT$4mil (RM501,990) in an investment scam. In an attempt to recover the money, Wang created a messaging group to coordinate efforts to locate the suspected scammer.
Personal details of the individual, as well as information about family members, were obtained through unofficial channels, including intermediaries said to have links to criminal groups.
Wang, who began his military service in March 2025, denied direct involvement in illegally obtaining the data.
However, the court ruled that both he and Chueh had participated in the unlawful use of personal information, in breach of Taiwan’s Personal Data Protection Act.
In related rulings, Liu was also sentenced to one year and four months’ jail on April 22 for misconduct and document forgery, with no option for a fine. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
