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• Government Confirms Security Measures for Google Maps Data Export The South Korean government has confirmed the compliance results of security measures imposed on Google regarding the export of high-precision maps. Military and security facility images will be processed domestically before being provided to Google, and map data processing will also occur within the country.On the morning of November 13, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport held a meeting of the high-precision map export consultative body, confirming the compliance results of security conditions imposed when Google was granted permission to export high-precision maps at a scale of 1:5000 in February.Previously, Google applied for the export of high-precision maps from South Korea, and the government granted permission under the condition of security measures. On November 4, Google submitted the final compliance results for each condition, including restrictions on coordinate display, video security processing, data processing, and security incident response procedures.Regarding coordinate display, Google has completed measures to remove and restrict the display of latitude and longitude coordinates for South Korean territory in its global services, including Google Maps and Google Earth. A dedicated control layer applicable only to South Korean territory has been developed, and a preventive system has been established to block distribution if coordinate exposure is detected during future application updates.A security processing method for military and security facility images has also been established. Since the locations and related information of military and security facilities are sensitive, Google will not process this information directly. Instead, the government will supply images processed domestically through local partner companies. To facilitate this, the National Geographic Information Institute has signed a contract to receive security-processed images from domestic partners. Google must replace the existing images in its map services as soon as it receives the domestically processed images.Google has also completed the removal of Street View images for roads within 50 meters of military and security facilities that it processed itself. Once domestically processed images are provided, all Street View images of military and security facilities and their surroundings will also be deleted. This aims to prevent external exposure of information related to military and security facilities and to ensure government control over the security processing process.Map data processing will also occur domestically. The government confirmed that a data processing and supply contract has been established between Google and domestic partner companies. The domestic partners will process data in a format that can be uploaded to Google Maps on domestic servers. Google is required to upload the provided data without altering the terrain's shape.A response system for security incidents has also been established. The government has designated Yoon Gu, the CEO of Google Korea, as the domestic liaison, creating a 24-hour response system to handle government requests. If the government identifies violations of domestic standards, such as exposure of security facilities in images, the liaison will relay the requests to Google's headquarters response team, ensuring that actions are completed within one business day of receipt.While the government confirmed the compliance results submitted by Google during this meeting, it plans to continue monitoring the actual export of map data and the application of services. Relevant ministries and agencies will continuously verify the process of supplying security-processed images and processed data, as well as check whether the restrictions on coordinate display are maintained and if the security incident response system is functioning properly.* This article has been translated by AI.
• AI Era Boosts Google and Microsoft Cloud Revenues, Experts Predict Market Expansion The growth of the artificial intelligence (AI) market is increasingly benefiting cloud businesses. The demand for computational resources necessary for developing and operating AI models and services has surged, leading to significant increases in revenue and operating profit for cloud providers.On October 29, Samsung SDS reported that its annual cloud revenue rose from 1.88 trillion won in 2023 to 2.32 trillion won in 2024 and 2.68 trillion won in 2025, marking an approximate 42.5% increase over two years. In the third quarter of this year, cloud revenue reached 796.1 billion won, an 18% increase compared to the same period last year, accounting for 47% of its IT service revenue.Within the cloud sector, the managed service provider (MSP) business grew by 25%, driven by the expansion of AX projects in the financial sector and enterprise resource planning (ERP) initiatives in the shipbuilding industry, as well as the introduction of global AI services. The cloud service provider (CSP) segment saw a 15% increase year-on-year, fueled by rising demand for the Samsung Cloud Platform (SCP) and the expansion of GPU as a service (GPUaaS) offerings in the public and software sectors. Opportunities are widening from AI infrastructure supply to enterprise system construction and operation.Naver Cloud and NHN Cloud, which are set to announce their results next month, are also expected to report over 20% revenue growth compared to the previous year. Naver Cloud is expanding its GPU-based AI infrastructure and AI projects in the corporate and public sectors, while NHN Cloud has begun supplying NVIDIA B200-based GPU services, resulting in an 85.3% revenue increase in the second quarter compared to the same period last year.Global tech giants are experiencing mixed results in their cloud businesses. Microsoft reported cloud revenue of $63.9 billion for the first quarter of fiscal year 2027 (July to September 2026), a 30% increase from the previous year. Revenue growth for its Azure cloud platform reached 48%.Alphabet's Google Cloud experienced even more rapid growth. Third-quarter revenue soared to $30.79 billion, a 103% increase year-on-year, exceeding market expectations of $29.57 billion. Operating profit for the same period reached $11.12 billion, more than tripling from $3.59 billion a year earlier, with an operating margin of 36.2%. Analysts attribute this improvement to the rising demand for AI infrastructure and enterprise AI solutions.Industry experts believe that as AI services become more sophisticated, cloud providers will increasingly benefit directly. The growing adoption of AI services will inevitably lead to a higher demand for the computational resources that support them.Moreover, the rising costs of energy and power supply needed for operating large data centers are accelerating the shift to cloud solutions, as it has become nearly impossible for individual companies to build and maintain their own infrastructure due to the substantial investments required for power facilities and cooling systems.As a result, the trend of concentrating power and computational resources with major cloud service providers (CSPs) that possess optimized power and cooling infrastructure is intensifying, creating a virtuous cycle that directly contributes to the growth of cloud providers' performance.Choi Jae-sik, a professor at KAIST's Graduate School of AI, stated, "As cloud transitions continue to mature, they are driving performance. It appears that the growth of cloud services due to AI is coinciding with the ongoing transition to existing cloud solutions." He added, "The more mature the cloud transition becomes, the greater the revenue from AI will be."* This article has been translated by AI.
• U.S. Regulators Impose $60 Million Fine on Google and Apple for Payment Practices The Broadcasting and Communications Commission has determined that Google and Apple have abused their dominant positions in the Play Store and App Store by forcing app developers to use in-app payments.While they do allow third-party payment methods, they impose a hefty 26% commission on those options and restrict access to key features, such as subscription management, when using their own in-app payment systems, effectively coercing developers.In addition to excluding payment processing fees, they have imposed unfavorable conditions on app developers without considering the costs of building payment systems and settling fees. Google has limited the display of fees by payment method, while Apple has imposed unreasonable conditions, such as requiring separate app submissions.Both companies have also failed to provide specific reasons for delays in app reviews and have not responded clearly to individual inquiries from developers.Apple has charged discriminatory fees, applying a 30% commission based on the supply price excluding value-added tax for foreign app developers, while domestic developers are charged 30% based on the consumer price that includes VAT, resulting in higher fees. The commission deemed this practice as "unfairly discriminatory compared to other users."Under the corrective order, Google and Apple must allow app developers to effectively choose payment methods beyond their in-app and third-party systems. They are required to submit a compliance plan within one month and complete improvements within three months.This action marks the first enforcement of the revised Telecommunications Business Act, known as the "In-App Payment Prohibition Law," aimed at preventing unfair practices related to in-app payments, which was amended by the National Assembly in 2021.The predecessor of the commission initiated a fact-finding investigation against Google and Apple in 2022 and subsequently determined that they violated the Telecommunications Business Act, notifying Google of a fine of 47.5 billion won and Apple of 20.5 billion won.However, the commission was unable to reach a final conclusion due to its two-member operation. In the meantime, it recalculated the fines based on revenue, setting them at 42 billion won for Google and 21 billion won for Apple. After the new commission was established, it conducted another fact-finding investigation and, following consultations with Google and Apple in August, reached a conclusion nearly three years later.Experts have expressed regret over the three-year delay in imposing fines on Google and Apple for in-app payment regulations, citing ongoing harm to app developers and the government's failure to take timely action. An adjunct professor at Chung-Ang University, Ahn, stated, "The review and decision should have progressed quickly after the fact-finding investigation and fine assessment were completed."There are also calls for legal enhancements. Park Jeong-mun, a lawyer at Ilro Law Firm, noted, "The revised Telecommunications Business Act only prohibits the coercion of in-app payments, leaving loopholes. It’s like leaving the door open for external payments but setting up an expensive toll booth at the entrance," emphasizing the need for legal language to prevent circumvention.Professor Ahn mentioned that the law currently allows fines of only 1-3%, suggesting that increasing the fines could enhance the effectiveness of legal sanctions. The commission has stated that it is reviewing regulations and enforcement guidelines related to fines.* This article has been translated by AI.