未成年人性交易防制與網路言論管制--司法院釋字第623號的分析檢討

Abstract

網路空間內訊息傳遞的高度技術依賴性、跨界性、匿名性以及去中心性創造了一個新的言論空間。網路使用者卻在我國兒少條例第29條的適用下，因為在特定聊天室、電子佈告欄刊登「尋找有緣人」、「找包養」等等被認為是暗示性交易之訊息，遭到警方釣魚逮捕，並面臨有期徒刑或易科罰金的制裁結果。此類案件隨著網路科技發達、網際網路的普遍使用更加層出不窮，並引發了系爭條文合憲性疑義，也讓網路言論管制議題進入我國憲法解釋的場域。 釋字第623號是我國唯一一號涉及網路言論管制的大法官解釋。解釋文中指出「促使人為性交易之訊息，固為商業言論之一種，惟係促使非法交易活動，因此立法者基於維護公益之必要，自可對之為合理之限制。」大法官並認為，與未成年人為性交易，等同於對未成年人為性剝削，故在保護未成年人的重大公益下，適於以刑法之手段預防危害的產生，但「行為人所傳布之訊息如非以兒童少年性交易或促使其為性交易為內容，且已採取必要之隔絕措施，使其訊息之接收人僅限於18歲以上之人者，即不屬該條規定規範之範圍。」大法官對兒少條例第29條以合憲限縮解釋的方式，欲使其符合比例原則，惟釋字第623號解釋作成後，系爭條文所造成的社會衝擊卻仍然未止息。 本文研究從網路空間的特殊性著眼，探討網路空間言論在未成年人性交易，與未成年人性剝削兩種不同脈絡下的連結，理解所研究國家針對不同脈絡下網路言論管制模式選擇的背景，在未成年人網路安全保護，或防止戀童症者等性犯罪潛在行為人，利用網路空間進行未成年人之誘拐的議題事實上是有所區分對待的，並且在各自社會背景下有不同的法律議題與發展，分別呈現出「專法管制」、「科技管制」、「分責管制」的網路空間言論管制模式。而我國兒少條例第29條，從系爭法律立法及修法之時空脈絡，延伸到釋字第623號作成的時空下，該號解釋以合憲限縮論述所創造之管制模式，其實分別在管制目的設定、管制手段的採取、以及管制執行的方式與日本《交友網站管制法》、美國《通訊端正法》以及英國《性犯罪法》分別有相似之處，而可為比較分析的對照呈現。 最後本文研究歸納出，由於網路空間具有其特殊性，不同的管制模式選擇，反映的是不同的投注成本與效用性，而英國政府對於網路言論散佈所採取之分責自治管制模式，在管制手段有效性與合於言論自由權利之憲法價值上，可能會是更好的選擇。在對於網路空間特殊性的忽略之下，本文研究認為釋字第623號除了無法促進未成年人保護之立法目的達成，甚至在失衡的比例原則論述過程中，因為對於管制權力與責任分配的落差，將言論自由的保護推至不利之位置。

Taiwan’s Constitutional Court has issued just one interpretation of the relationship between internet regulation and free speech: Judicial Yuan Interpretation No. 623. The Interpretation notes the conflict between protection of minors and freedom of speech especially with regard to the dissemination of commercial sex speech on-line and declares Article 29 of Taiwan’s Child and Juvenile Sexual Transaction Prevention Act constitutional. Article 29 of the Act was amended and promulgated on June 2, 1999. It provides that “[a] person who spreads, broadcasts or publishes information in any advertisement, publication, broadcasting, television, electronic signals, computer network or any other media which may seduce, serve as a medium for, suggest or by any other means induce a person to engage in unlawful sexual transaction shall be punished with imprisonment for not more than five years and, in addition thereto, may be subject to a fine of not more than NT$1,000,000.” Article 29 is intended to eliminate the sexual exploitation of minors by imposing punishment on those who disseminate information that induces people to engage in such sexual transaction. Interpretation 623 held that despite the fact that the information at issue is a form of commercial speech; the legislators may nonetheless impose reasonable restraints on such information as dictated by public interest since this kind of speech induces people to engage in an unlawful activity. In other words, the majority found that Article 29 is a rational and necessary means to achieve a significant state interest in deterring and eliminating situations where minors become objects of sexual transactions and exploitation. Thus, Article 29 is consistent with the principle of proportionality that the Constitutional Court has found in the Article 23 of the Constitution. Although the Court upheld Article 29 in Interpretation 623, it also directed the executive branch to design a classification management system so as to comply with the principle of proportionality if technology one day allows users to be effectively differentiated because there are different methods of obtaining information, including electronic signals, computer networks as well as traditional print and electronic mass media. Nonetheless, subsequent empirical studies show that Interpretation 623 did not quiet public outrage and the fact is that an increasing number of adults are being prosecuted and convicted under Article 29. This article explores the achievements and limitations of this Interpretation by re-evaluating its rationale, reviewing comparative legal studies, and tracing subsequent legislative efforts. Firstly, this thesis delineates the different social and global contexts of commercial sex transactions and the sexual exploitation of minors by analyzing their relationship with online speeches. Next this thesis examines the regulation of online speech in Japan, United States, and the United Kingdom in the context of evolving technologies. While these countries have developed diverse internet regulations for protecting minors based on their own culture and social contexts, the legitimacy and effectiveness of these regulatory regimes is the subject of ongoing vigorous debate. This thesis subsequently returns to Taiwan to show how the Interpretation deferred to the legislative purpose of reducing the risk of minors becoming the objects of commercial sex transactions or exploitation and applied the principle of proportionality with the Court’s two tier theory of speech regulation. Finally, the regulation model created by the Interpretation is reviewed in light of and compared to more efficient and effective means adopted by the United Kingdom. This comparison and analysis shows that the Interpretation failed to lead to the development of internet speech regulation because it ignored the special characteristics of cyberspace, hollowed-out the application of proportionality principle and failed to reallocate regulatory power to those who are more eligible to take on the responsibility of regulation.