Will Google and Apple Finally Get Approval to Export High-Precision Map Data This Year?

Global big tech companies Google LLC and Apple Inc. are facing a prolonged wait over whether they will be allowed to transfer "high-precision digital map data" overseas. The government has repeatedly postponed a decision on national security grounds, but some observers say mounting external pressure, including trade complaints from the United States, is tilting the balance toward conditional approval. However, academia and industry at home are raising concerns about security and potential reverse discrimination against domestic firms, suggesting a rocky road ahead.■ Google supplementing its documentsAccording to the information technology (IT) industry on the 14th, Google must submit supplementary documents related to the overseas transfer of high-precision maps to the Consultative Body on Overseas Transfer of Survey and Mapping Results by the 5th of next month. This follows a request from the government after a meeting of the consultative body in November last year. The National Geographic Information Institute put on hold its decision on whether to allow the export of the maps, saying that although Google had expressed its willingness to comply with requirements such as masking South Korean security facilities and prohibiting the disclosure of coordinates, it had not submitted a revised application reflecting those conditions. If Google submits the supplementary documents, the case will be reviewed again. Apple Inc., which requested permission to export maps after Google, does not have a fixed deadline but is currently preparing its own supplementary documents.
Until now, the government has rejected big tech companies’ requests to export high-precision maps at a 1:5,000 scale on national security grounds. However, after Google and Apple again pressed for the export of high-precision digital map data last year, and the United States criticized the restrictions as a "digital trade barrier" and ramped up pressure, the possibility of conditional approval has begun to surface. The government has set conditions for Google and Apple, including masking security facilities, banning the exposure of coordinates, and establishing domestic data centers. Apple has indicated it is willing to host a data center in South Korea, but Google has effectively refused to build one. At a press briefing the previous day, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yoon-duk said, "There is a significant difference in that Apple has servers in South Korea, whereas Google does not," adding, "If we can reach a solution through proactive discussions with Apple, we can then also discuss the matter with Google, and my understanding is that talks are currently under way."■ Strong will to "reach a conclusion this time," but...Within the consultative body, voices are reportedly growing louder that, given last year’s repeated postponements, a swift conclusion should be reached this year. However, continued trade pressure from the United States and the fact that the presidency of the National Geographic Information Institute, which heads the consultative body, is currently vacant are seen as key variables. As the selection process for a new head of the institute is still under way, some observers say it will be difficult to make a decisive call on such a security-sensitive issue amid a leadership vacuum.
Academia and industry warn that if the government hastily opens the door under trade pressure, it could not only lead to reverse discrimination against domestic companies but also undermine national security and the country’s sovereignty over its data. At present, domestic platform operators such as Naver Map and Kakao Map run their mapping services in compliance with existing laws and undergo strict annual security audits. They follow government controls by continuously screening out sensitive facilities so they do not appear on maps and by applying blurring and other masking measures.
By contrast, the servers of Google and Apple are located overseas. Once data crosses the border, the government has few effective tools to conduct on-site inspections or compel those companies to properly implement security measures. As recently as the 11th, controversy flared when satellite images and the name of the Cheong Wa Dae compound appeared on map services operated by Google and Apple. Domestic services such as Naver and Kakao, on the other hand, had already blocked searches and replaced satellite imagery with forested or blurred views in line with the relocation of Cheong Wa Dae, completing their security measures.
Choi Jin-mu, a professor in the Department of Geography at Kyung Hee University, said, "Because this issue is directly linked to national security, our government needs tools that allow it to exercise control," adding, "Even if conditional overseas transfer is permitted, it should be mandatory to establish domestic data centers and conduct local verification so that these companies are subject to South Korean law."
wongood@fnnews.com Joo Won-gyu Reporter