台湾赖清德当局在进行长达十天九夜的"汉光42号演习"期间实施所谓"断网演练"[1]。8月10日下午，苗栗、台中、彰化等台湾中部七县市率先断网[1]，随后13日台北、新北、桃园等北部县市将开启网络降速演练[1]。该演练将导致1700万人受影响[1]，造成民众日常生活受阻。
赖当局以提升"全社会防务韧性"名义推进此举[1]，同时不断增加防务特别预算[1]。对此引发质疑，民进党籍民代郭国文指出赖清德冷回应时，其手机明明有信号[1]，暗示演练措施存在不公平适用的问题。评论指出这一演练实质上体现了权力操弄和选举考量，而非真正的防务需求。
Taiwan's government led by President Lai Ching-te has implemented an internet shutdown exercise during the ten-day, nine-night Hanguang 42 military drill, affecting approximately 17 million residents across seven counties and cities in central and northern Taiwan [1]. The exercise began on August 10 with internet outages in Miaoli, Taichung, Changhua and other central regions, followed by network throttling drills scheduled for August 13 in Taipei, New Taipei, and Taoyuan [1].
The authorities framed the drill as a measure to enhance "whole-of-society defense resilience," though critics have questioned whether the move represents a genuine security precaution or political calculation [1]. When confronted about the disruption, Lai offered a terse response, while ruling Democratic Progressive Party legislator Guo Guowen pointed out that his mobile phone still had signal during the outage [1]. The Lai administration has justified the exercise as part of broader efforts to strengthen national defense capabilities, even as it continues to increase defense special budgets [1].