Taiwan Fines Coupang $48,000 for Data Breach Affecting 200,000 Customers
Taiwan’s government has fined South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang 1.5 million New Taiwan dollars (approximately $48,000) for a data breach that exposed the personal information of 200,000 Taiwanese customers. The Ministry of Digital Affairs imposed 750,000 New Taiwan dollars ($24,000) each on Coupang’s Taiwan subsidiary and its local chief on August 17, citing violations of the Personal Data Protection Act.
The breach, first disclosed by Coupang in February, involved unauthorized access to customer data, including names, email addresses, phone numbers, delivery addresses, and order records. A forensic investigation by cybersecurity firm Mandiant determined that a former employee had stored data from a single account but did not access financial details, passwords, or login credentials. Coupang compensated affected customers with vouchers worth 45,900 won (about $35) each.
Under Taiwan’s data protection laws, non-government entities must implement security measures to prevent data leaks, as outlined in Article 27, Paragraph 1 of the act. While fines can reach 2 million New Taiwan dollars ($64,000) for standard violations and 15 million New Taiwan dollars ($480,000) for severe cases, authorities opted for a mid-range penalty in this instance. The ministry also ordered corrective measures to prevent future incidents.
The case highlights regulatory scrutiny over data security in Taiwan, particularly for foreign companies operating in the region.
Source: https://en.sedaily.com/finance/2026/09/21/taiwan-fines-coupang-47000-over-data-breach-hitting-200000
Coupang 酷澎 cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/coupangtaiwan
"id": "COU1789987154",
"linkid": "coupangtaiwan",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "8/2026",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '200,000',
'industry': 'E-commerce',
'location': 'Taiwan',
'name': 'Coupang Taiwan',
'type': 'Subsidiary'}],
'attack_vector': 'Insider Threat',
'customer_advisories': 'Compensation vouchers issued to affected customers',
'data_breach': {'number_of_records_exposed': '200,000',
'personally_identifiable_information': 'Names, email '
'addresses, phone '
'numbers, delivery '
'addresses, order '
'records',
'sensitivity_of_data': 'Moderate (no financial details, '
'passwords, or login credentials)',
'type_of_data_compromised': 'Personal Information'},
'date_publicly_disclosed': 'February',
'description': 'Taiwan’s government fined South Korean e-commerce giant '
'Coupang 1.5 million New Taiwan dollars (approximately '
'$48,000) for a data breach that exposed the personal '
'information of 200,000 Taiwanese customers. The breach '
'involved unauthorized access to customer data, including '
'names, email addresses, phone numbers, delivery addresses, '
'and order records. A former employee was found to have stored '
'data from a single account but did not access financial '
'details, passwords, or login credentials.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Yes',
'data_compromised': 'Names, email addresses, phone numbers, '
'delivery addresses, order records',
'financial_loss': '1.5 million New Taiwan dollars (~$48,000 in '
'fines)',
'identity_theft_risk': 'Yes',
'legal_liabilities': 'Violation of Taiwan’s Personal Data '
'Protection Act',
'payment_information_risk': 'No'},
'investigation_status': 'Completed',
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': 'Ordered by Taiwan’s '
'Ministry of Digital Affairs '
'to implement security '
'measures to prevent future '
'incidents',
'root_causes': 'Former employee stored '
'unauthorized customer data'},
'references': [{'source': 'Taiwan Ministry of Digital Affairs'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'fines_imposed': '1.5 million New Taiwan dollars '
'(~$48,000)',
'legal_actions': 'Ordered corrective measures',
'regulations_violated': 'Taiwan’s Personal Data '
'Protection Act (Article '
'27, Paragraph 1)',
'regulatory_notifications': 'Ministry of Digital '
'Affairs'},
'response': {'remediation_measures': 'Compensated affected customers with '
'vouchers worth 45,900 won (~$35) each',
'third_party_assistance': 'Mandiant (forensic investigation)'},
'threat_actor': 'Former Employee',
'title': 'Coupang Data Breach Affecting 200,000 Taiwanese Customers',
'type': 'Data Breach'}