Wed Sep 18 07:56:09 UTC 2024: ## Taiwanese Tech Firm Denies Involvement in Exploding Pagers Incident in Lebanon

**Taipei, Taiwan** – A Taiwanese tech company, Gold Apollo, has denied any involvement in the manufacture of exploding pagers that were used in an apparent attack on members of the Lebanese Hezbollah group. The incident, which reportedly killed nine people and injured over 2,700 others, has drawn unwelcome attention to Taiwan’s globally renowned tech industry.

Gold Apollo, a company specializing in pagers and wireless communication devices, insists that the AR-924 model pagers were manufactured by a European company named BAC under a licensing agreement. The company states they only provided brand trademark authorization and had no involvement in the design or manufacturing of the product.

While Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs has no record of direct exports of the devices to Lebanon, reports from The New York Times and Reuters, citing unnamed officials, suggest that Israeli authorities placed small amounts of explosive material in the pagers before the detonations.

Analysts in Taiwan express doubt that the Taiwanese government or Gold Apollo would have willingly participated in the attack. Professor Jhy-Chern Liu of the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology stated that the incident is “unthinkable” in a democratic society like Taiwan.

However, the incident has raised concerns about the vulnerability of Taiwan’s tech industry, particularly in light of its crucial role in global supply chains. Christy Chiang, a professor in tech law at National Taiwan Ocean University, highlights the need for increased attention to supply chain security, noting that the incident serves as a “huge, critical lesson for the industry.”

While Taiwan typically avoids involvement in global conflicts, the incident has brought the fallout of the war in Gaza to its front door. Concerns about potential similar attacks using technology from Chinese companies have also been raised by some Taiwanese citizens.

The incident underscores the growing complexities of global security and the interconnectedness of technology, even in seemingly unrelated regions. It serves as a stark reminder of the need for greater vigilance and scrutiny within supply chains, particularly in a world increasingly reliant on advanced technology.

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