In an increasingly hostile market, companies have taken an innovative approach to advertising, seeking to ensure consumer loyalty. This has included comparing their products and services with those of competitors in an attempt to convince consumers that theirs are the best. However, is this type of advertising, which is (in theory) harmful to competitors whose products and services are shown as being inferior, allowed?

The National Communications Commission recently issued an official order of recall against Taiwan Mobile, one of the country's top three mobile operators. The order concerned Taiwan Mobile's self-branded smartphone (the Amazing A32), which had been supplied by a Chinese company and was sold to more than 94,191 subscribers between April 2018 and July 2020. Although not uncommon in China, this was the first security breach involving a smartphone in Taiwan.