Privacy Commission Recommends Improvements to Face Recognition System for Mobile Phone Registration

Song Kyung-hee, chair of the Personal Information Protection Commission, speaks during the 10th plenary meeting of the commission at the Government Seoul Building in Jongno, Seoul, on the afternoon of May 27. [Photo: Yonhap News]

The Personal Information Protection Commission has recommended improvements to the face recognition system implemented during mobile phone registration, citing inadequate privacy protections.
On May 28, the commission announced that it had approved a set of recommendations regarding the operation of the face recognition system during mobile phone registration at its plenary meeting the previous day.
The Ministry of Science and ICT has been piloting the face recognition system since December as part of a government initiative to combat voice phishing. This system compares a photo of the user's ID with their live face in real time.
The commission's investigation found that the ministry had not sufficiently considered the sensitivity of biometric data from a privacy protection perspective. Under the Personal Information Protection Act, facial data is classified as sensitive information and can only be processed with the consent of the individual or a clear legal basis.
Concerns were raised about the lack of clarity in existing telecommunications laws regarding the use of facial data as a means of identity verification during mobile phone registration. Additionally, the commission noted that users effectively have no choice but to accept face recognition, which undermines their ability to opt out. It also suggested that the scope of data processed by the contractor's system should be minimized.
The commission urged the ministry to thoroughly review the necessity, applicability, effectiveness, appropriateness, and proportionality of processing biometric data before formal implementation. It emphasized the need to operate the system according to the principle of privacy by design (PbD) and to clarify legal grounds and protections for individuals' rights.
The commission plans to monitor the implementation of these recommendations and support efforts to ensure that government-wide measures against voice phishing are carried out within a framework that protects personal information.

* This article has been translated by AI.

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