As illegal and harmful information proliferates online, responding by blocking individual pieces of content after the fact is becoming increasingly ineffective. To prevent the spread of illegal information online, there is a growing call to place primary responsibility for safety management on platform operators, with the government overseeing and regulating these efforts.
On September 23, Lee Joo-hee, a member of the Democratic Party, held a discussion at the National Assembly on the topic of 'Legislative Direction and Issues of the Korean Online Safety Law: Perspectives from Civil Society.'
Sang Yun-mo, a professor at Yonsei University’s Department of Media and Communication, explained that the current Information and Communication Network Law is inadequate in addressing the surge of digital sexual crimes, hate speech, and illegal drug-related information.
He noted, "Between 2013 and 2022, South Korea was second only to Russia in the number of content removal requests made to Google by the government." He also pointed out that while administrative oversight of communications through deletion requests has reached its limits in South Korea, relying solely on self-regulation by platforms is also insufficient.
During the event, the necessity for a 'Korean Online Safety Law' that legally mandates platforms to prevent and manage the dissemination of illegal and harmful information was emphasized. The existing Information and Communication Network Law was designed primarily for user protection and has been restructured to address new issues, making it challenging to review and block illegal information disseminated online.
The proposed Korean Online Safety Law would place the primary responsibility for preventing the distribution of illegal and harmful information on online service providers, with the government imposing sanctions if necessary measures are not taken.
This approach aims to move away from post-hoc regulation of individual pieces of content and instead establish a comprehensive system for preventing distribution. Previously, the Broadcast Media Communications Review Committee and the Broadcast Media Communications Commission operated systems for communication review and corrective orders.
Additionally, the law includes provisions allowing the government to urgently delete and block access to serious illegal information, as well as differentiated obligations based on the type of online service provider.
Notably, the online safety law also addresses the protection of children and adolescents by platform service providers. However, this aspect is expected to become a point of contention in future detailed legislative discussions.
Professor Sang stated, "There will be debates on whether to restrict access based on age or to require service providers to design safety measures for users. We need to discuss the extent of coverage as well." He also emphasized the need to consider whether the regulatory scope should be limited to social media or include emerging issues related to AI chatbot services.
Ham Hyung-cheol, a director at the Broadcast Media Communications Commission, expressed strong agreement on the need to establish a separate law given the limitations of the current Information and Communication Network Law, stating, "There is a need for detailed adjustments on points where opinions are sharply divided."
He further highlighted the importance of establishing legislative direction while considering various concerns raised about the U.S. government's revised Information and Communication Network Law and the domestic agency system.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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