"Five-Fold Penalty" for Harm Caused by Fake News… Act to Eradicate False and Manipulated Information Takes Effect July 7
Introduction of a System for Five-Fold Aggravated Damages in Cases of Intentional Dissemination
Hefty Fines for Resale Platforms
Any Victim Can Quickly Report an Incident and Request That Distribution Be Stopped
Swift Relief Through the Establishment of a New Dispute Mediation Commission
[Edaily Reporter Yun Junghoon ] Going forward, individuals who intentionally or negligently spread false or manipulated information (fake news) online, causing severe harm to others, will be liable for “punitive damages” of up to five times the actual amount of damages. In addition, comprehensive regulations will be implemented, including the imposition of substantial fines on platform operators who fail to address such content or repeatedly distribute it.
The Korea Communications Commission announced on the 30th that the “Act on the Eradication of False and Manipulated Information” (an amendment to the Information and Communications Network Act), designed to prevent the harm caused by illegal and false or manipulated information spreading through information and communications networks and to provide prompt relief to victims, will take full effect on July 7.
[This image was created using AI technology.]
'Punitive Damages' for Malicious Fake News… Claims of Up to Five Times the Amount of Damages
The core of this amendment is the introduction of an “aggravated damages system.” If a person whose business involves conveying facts or opinions to an unspecified audience intentionally disseminates illegal or false and manipulated information with the intent to cause harm to others, the court will be able to calculate damages up to five times the amount of the actual loss.
Large-scale information and communications service providers, such as Naver (NAVER(035420)) and Kakao(035720), are required to establish their own policies regarding self-regulation and measures against false or manipulated information. Businesses that repeatedly and intentionally distribute information ruled by a court to be illegal or false or manipulated on two or more occasions will be subject to administrative fines.
"Quickly and Without Litigation"... From Reporting to Distribution Prevention Using Only a URL
The procedure for compensating the general public for damages will also be further streamlined. Any citizen who has suffered harm can immediately report the issue to the platform operator by providing the specific location of the information (URL) and the reason for the report.
Upon receiving a report, the platform must immediately take measures to prevent distribution and notify the complainant of the outcome. If there is a dispute, the parties can apply for mediation through the newly established “Dispute Mediation Division of the Korea Communications Commission” to reach a swift settlement without litigation.
For inquiries, please contact the False and Manipulated Information Policy Team at the Korea Communications Commission.
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