KMCC to Enforce 'False Information Law' Without Grace Period, Also Pushes Social Media Rules for Minors

[Financial News] The Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) is moving to fully activate its response system against false and manipulated information to strengthen protection for digital users. It will enforce obligations under the revised Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection without a separate grace period, while also pushing legislation to regulate minors' use of social networking services (SNS) and increase platform accountability.
On the 15th, KMCC held a pre-briefing on the presidential work report at Government Complex Gwacheon and outlined its policy direction for digital user protection in the second half of the year.
Under the revised Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, which took effect on the 7th, KMCC designated nine large information and communications service providers subject to obligations to respond to false and manipulated information. The list includes Naver, Kakao, Daum, Nate, DC Inside, Google Experience Center, Meta Platforms, X, and TikTok.
KMCC said it received explanatory materials from operators that objected to the designation by the 15th, and that only DC Inside submitted such a statement. It plans to review the materials before making a final decision on the designation, and said no additional operators are currently set to be added to the regulatory list.
DC Inside was not included in the initial list of service providers, but KMCC confirmed through notices posted on the DC Inside website and elsewhere that the site had an average of about 4 million daily visitors. Under the revised law, information intermediary services between users with an average of at least 1 million daily active users over the previous three months as of the end of the previous year are classified as large information and communications service providers.
KMCC has decided not to impose the previously discussed three-month grace period for businesses under the revised Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection. The commission said some members had suggested granting a grace period during deliberations, but the proposal was not adopted.
The commission is also pushing legislation to regulate minors' use of social media. KMCC said it has finalized the government's position and plans to submit the related bill to the National Assembly soon through a lawmaker-sponsored proposal. It said it is reviewing measures to strengthen platform operators' obligations to verify identities and ages, as well as to introduce management and oversight functions that would allow parents to check their children's content usage and behavior. It is also considering a ban on providing features that may encourage addiction, such as infinite scrolling and autoplay, to minors without parental consent.
kaya@fnnews.com Choi Hye-rim Reporter