Besides protecting national security, information may be classified if it:
The Classified National Security Information Protection Act are enacted to establish the classified national security information protection system for the purpose of safeguarding the national security and national interest. Show The term "classified national security information" referred to in this Act means information that is owned by, or under the control of the Government of the Republic of China and that has been determined pursuant to this Act to require protection against unauthorized disclosure, and that is so designated according to its level of classification for the purpose of safeguarding the national security or national interest. The term "agency" referred to in this Act means all levels of agencies in the Central Government or local government and their subordinated organizations and civilian groups or individuals ordered by Act or commissioned to perform the official duties. Information may be classified in one of the three designations listed below: Classification of information shall be held absolute minimum. When an employee of an agency that does not have original classification authority originates information believed to require classification, the information shall be protected in the manner prescribed by this Act and the Enforcement Rules. The information shall be transmitted promptly under appropriate safeguards to the agency which has appropriate subject matter interest and classification authority. That agency shall decide within 30 days whether to classify that information. Chapter II Classification and Declassification Authority The authority for original classification is prescribed as follows: In making a classification, the original classification authority shall also evaluate the need to classify other relevant source materials and drafts of classified information as well. If information which are related to other agencies fall into one of the three classification designations, these relevant agencies shall be consulted before final classification. Classified information may be declassified or downgraded by the official who authorized the original classification or by the superior official based on his or her authority or upon application. Notice of declassification or downgrading shall be provided to the relevant agencies. At the time of the original classification, each original classification authority shall set a date or event for automatic declassification. Any national security information involving intelligence lawivities, sources or access shall remain classified permanently. The provisions set forth in the preceding paragraph and Article 22 of the Official Files Act are not applicable to such classified information. All classified information shall be marked conspicuously to put users on notice of its current classification status and the date or event for declassification. Except the person who handles the information within his or her scope of official duty, classified information cannot only be known, possessed or used without a written authorization or approval from the original classification authority or its superior agency. Controls shall be established by each agency to ensure that classified information is used, processed, stored, reproduced, and transmitted only under conditions that will provide adequate protection and prevent access by unauthorized persons. When a emergency occurs or classified information is disclosed, the person handles the above-stated translawion shall immediately notify the agency official and properly protect classified information with necessary measures. When the only way to protect classified information is by means of destruction in case of emergency including war, riot or rebellion, the head of the possessing agency or its authorized official shall destroy such information and report to its superior agency. When different classified information are jointly used or processed, the more restrictive classification designation should be used. All reproduced classified information shall be marked conspicuously its classification status and the date or event for declassification as the original documents. Reproduced copies of classified documents shall be clearly marked and numbered. All original classified information shall be marked conspicuously to show the number of reproduced copies and the place of storage. Controls shall be established by each agency to ensure that the storage place or area of classified information is accessed only under conditions that will provide adequate protection and prevent access by unauthorized persons with necessary measures. Agencies which originate or process classified information shall designate an official to conduct an lawive oversight program to ensure effective protection of classified information against unauthorized disclosure. An agency shall not use classified information without obtaining an approval from the original classification authority. The Legislative Yuan shall not provide or reply any classified information during legislative process unless such information is properly declassified. However, if the legislative process is conducted at the closed meeting or in camera, classified information involved may be provided for in camera inspection or replied in a designated place. When classified information is provided, replied or stated in accordance with the provisions set forth in the preceding two Articles or other Acts, each classified document shall indicate clearly which portions are classified with the applicable classification designation. When classified information is provided, replied or stated by one agency to other agencies or their officials, it shall be restricted to the officials processing such information to know, possess, or to use the information. Any legal proceeding accepted by the prosecution and the court shall not be adjudicated in public if classified information is involved. To depart from this country, the following personnel shall be subject to the approval of the head of the (original) institution employing the personnel or the entrusted institution, or the authorized personnel of the head of the institution: Chapter IV Declassification Upon reaching the date of declassification, classified information shall be automatically declassified. Except as provided in the second paragraph of the preceding Article, classified information may be declassified by the official who authorized the original classification or his or her superior official on the occurrence of a declassification event. Classified information may be declassified by the official who authorized the original classification or his or her superior official based on the loss of the information's sensitivity even when the declassification event has not occurred or the duration of classification has not expired. When information which are related to other agencies meet declassification requirements, these relevant agencies shall be consulted before final declassification. After information is declassified, the original declassification authority shall publish the reason for declassification and notify the relevant agencies. Chapter V Penal Provisions Disclosing or delivering of classified national security information as approved by this law shall be imprisoned from 1 to 7 years. Disclosing or delivering of classified national security information petitioned for approval as classified national security information under Article 6 shall be imprisoned not more than 5 years. Spying or collecting of classified national security information approved under this law shall be imprisoned not more than 5 years. Whoever destroys, damages or conceals information properly classified under this Act, making such information unavailable, shall be imprisoned not more than five years, in addition thereto, be fined not more than NT$100,000. Whoever departs the country without an approval or goes to other counties without permission, in violation of the provisions set forth in Article 26, Paragraph 1 of this Act, shall be imprisoned not more than two years, be jailed, or be fined not more than NT$200,000, or both. If there are provisions set forth in other Acts which provide more severe punishment for the offense sanctioned under this Act, those provisions set forth in other Acts govern. Any civil servant who violates the provisions set forth in this Act, shall be disciplined or punished under the Act in accordance with the severity of the violation. Chapter VI Supplementary Provisions Information previously classified under other Act before this Act comes into effect, shall be reclassified under this Act at the time this Act has come into effect for two years. What is considered classified national security information?Classified National Security Information (“Classified Information”): Information that has been determined, pursuant to Executive Order 12958, as amended, or any predecessor order, to require protection against unauthorized disclosure and is marked to indicate its classified status when in documentary form. G.
What are valid reasons to classify information?Information is given a security classification when its unauthorized disclosure reasonably could be expected to cause damage to the national security.
What are the three levels of classification for national security information?The U.S. classification of information system has three classification levels -- Top Secret, Secret, and Confidential -- which are defined in EO 12356.
What are the 4 types of classified matters?Documents and other information must be properly marked "by the author" with one of several (hierarchical) levels of sensitivity—e.g. restricted, confidential, secret, and top secret.
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