Not a single post has been deleted as disinformation since the revised Network Act, widely known as the "fake news eradication law," took effect in South Korea. Analysts say the strict criteria set out in industry guidelines have eased concerns about a chilling effect on free speech that surfaced when the law was introduced.
The Korea Internet Self-governance Organization (KISO), an internet self-regulatory body, said on the 2nd that it reviewed 27 disinformation reports filed by member companies and ordered no deletions. It was the first time KISO disclosed the status of its self-regulatory reviews of disinformation since the revised Network Act took effect in July. The organization held a press briefing near Gwanghwamun in Seoul.
The revised law requires platform operators to delete or block false and manipulated information and sets penalties for violations. It leaves specific judgments and actions to information and communications service providers above a certain size, which must establish their own procedures. KISO, whose members include NAVER and Kakao, drew up self-regulatory guidelines and has been conducting reviews accordingly.
All 23 cases in which reviews have been completed under the disinformation self-regulation guidelines were found to fall outside the scope of the rules, according to KISO. By type of post, 19 cases — about 70% of the total — were informational, review or promotional content related to products and services. Most were everyday posts such as travel and lodging information, restaurant receipt reviews, cosmetic procedure reviews and discount notices. Others involved disputes and defamatory content or entertainment-oriented posts, and a small number dealt with claims or opinions in academic or religious areas.
KISO said none of the reviews so far involved political posts or other cases that could raise disputes over infringement of free expression, the kind of concern raised before the law took effect.
The committee first examined whether a post met the definition of false or manipulated information based on the report and supporting evidence, and issued an immediate finding of no violation when the criteria were not met. Even where there were flaws in the facts — minor errors in details, some inaccurate expressions, outdated content or simple mistakes — the committee weighed the overall context to determine whether the falsehood or manipulation was intentional. Subjective assessments and opinions, along with matters where objective truth has not been established, such as academic, scientific or religious disputes, were excluded from review.
For posts involving infringement of individual rights, such as defamation or invasion of privacy, the committee directed complainants to the existing temporary measure system. Cases in which a temporary measure was taken during a review were closed without a ruling on whether the content constituted disinformation.
"These results show the principle of KISO's self-regulation, which intervenes only in limited cases that meet the clear standards set by the guidelines, rather than forcing every piece of inaccurate information or rights infringement online into the category of disinformation," said Kim Min-ho, head of the special committee on disinformation review.
More platforms are expected to adopt the KISO guidelines. DCInside and at least two global big tech companies are in talks to join KISO.
"We will continue to accumulate review cases under the principle of minimizing harm from disinformation while respecting freedom of expression and the right to know as much as possible," Kim said. "We will disclose the results transparently to improve the predictability and credibility of self-regulation."
