[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) will conduct an on-site inspection this month regarding suspicions of mobile carriers accumulating personal location information.
Recently, a media outlet reported that telecommunications companies have been accumulating mobile phone location information (base station connection records) without prior notice or consent from users. The report stated that telecom companies create separate databases for big data projects, accumulating personal location information without deleting base station connection records, and provide this data to the police and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
However, under current law, it is clearly illegal for telecom companies to indiscriminately accumulate personal location information. Telecom companies can collect location information only with users' 'consent' according to their terms and conditions, and must destroy the information once the retention period expires. Additionally, under the "Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act," location information can be collected only in a limited manner for the purpose of preventing infectious diseases such as COVID-19.
Kim Jae-cheol, Director of the User Policy Bureau at the KCC, stated, “We will examine whether personal location information is being safely collected, used, and provided in accordance with relevant regulations, and will actively work to ensure that users' rights are protected.”
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