[Edaily Reporter Yun Junghoon ] It has been confirmed that Everytime (operated by Binulabs), South Korea’s largest college student community, was excluded from the list of businesses subject to the government’s “Act on the Eradication of False and Manipulated Information” despite meeting the regulatory criteria.

Following the Korea Communications Commission’s (KCC) earlier mistake in incorrectly identifying the operator of the Daum portal—which was later corrected—questions are now being raised about the consistency of the selection criteria for regulated businesses, given that Everytime has also been excluded.

According to data confirmed by Edaily on the 20th via IGAWorks’ Mobile Index, Everytime’s average daily active users (DAU) from October to December of last year totaled approximately 1.05 million. This figure exceeds the threshold of 1 million average daily users over the preceding three months—the criterion for “large-scale information and communications service providers” as defined by the amended Information and Communications Network Act.

Everytime is South Korea’s largest anonymous college student community and is regarded as a platform with significant influence on shaping public opinion among people in their 20s. This year, its monthly average active users (MAU) reached 3.37 million, surpassing the total number of college students nationwide (approximately 3 million). It is widely recognized as a leading college student community used not only by current students but also by graduates.

The revised Information and Communications Network Act, which took effect on the 7th, defines “large-scale information and communications service providers” as “businesses that had a daily average of at least 1 million users over the three months immediately preceding the end of the previous year and provide information intermediary services between users.” Social networking services (SNS), online communities, and video-sharing platforms are typical examples.

However, the list of large-scale information and communications service providers released by the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) included only nine platforms—such as Naver, Daum, Nate, Meta, and Google—while Everytime, which was confirmed to meet the criteria, was excluded.

In response, the KCC explained that it determined Everytime’s user base did not meet the statutory threshold.

An KCC official stated, “We are referring not only to Mobile Index but also to various other statistical data, and we plan to conduct a comprehensive review after receiving relevant materials directly from the operator.”

Critics point out that the commission will find it difficult to avoid criticism, as this controversy marks the second time it has made an error in selecting Daesang operators. Previously, when announcing the list of large-scale information and communications service providers, the commission mistakenly listed the operator of the portal Daum as Kakao(035720)—forgetting that Daum had been sold—and later corrected the error to reflect that the operator had changed to AXZ (a subsidiary of Upstage).

Experts pointed out that, in the rush to implement the system, the criteria and procedures for selecting Daesang were not sufficiently refined.

A media policy expert who requested anonymity stated, “If the criteria and principles for designating regulated entities are inconsistent and appear arbitrary, both platforms and users are bound to face confusion from the very beginning of the system’s implementation,” adding, “The authorities must transparently disclose which data will be prioritized and what criteria will be used for evaluation.”

Ahn Jeong-sang, an adjunct professor at Chung-Ang University who previously served as the chief policy advisor for information and communications, broadcasting, and media for the Democratic Party of Korea, noted, “The designation criteria stipulated in the framework law are unclear, which risks undermining the constitutional principle of clarity.” He added, “This case has revealed the problem that platforms with significant influence on public opinion could actually be excluded from the scope of regulation.”

Some observers are calling for alternatives that would enhance enforcement capabilities not only against domestic platforms but also against global platforms, in order to improve the effectiveness of regulations on false and manipulated information.

During a briefing by the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Communications on the 16th, President Lee Jae-myung stated, “It is the government’s duty to study how to overcome this issue and prevent further harm,” and urged, “Please consider how we can prevent and minimize false and manipulated information.”

In response, Kim Jong-cheol, Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, explained, “Regulating global platforms is intertwined with trade issues, which limits our ability to enforce policies,” adding, “There is also a structural problem in that regulations struggle to keep pace with the rapid advancement of technology.”