"From October, Mobile Phone Call History Viewing Period Extended from 6 Months to 1 Year"

[Asia Economy Reporter Joselgina] Starting from October this year, individuals will be able to view their mobile phone call records for up to one year.

The Personal Information Protection Commission announced on the 16th that 48 mobile carriers, including the three major telecom companies and MVNO operators, have accepted this improvement recommendation.

Currently, telecom companies retain call records and other communication fact confirmation data for 12 months for investigation and security purposes under the "Communication Privacy Protection Act." However, the terms of service specify that call records for the most recent six months are retained for billing and complaint resolution purposes, and the viewing period is limited to the retained six months.

As a result, a dispute resolution request was filed with the Personal Information Dispute Mediation Committee to allow access to call records exceeding six months. The Personal Information Protection Commission recommended that telecom companies extend the viewing period to one year and improve the terms of service to ensure sufficient personal information access rights for data subjects.

After completing preparation stages such as system readiness and customer center training, telecom companies plan to report the terms of service changes to the Ministry of Science and ICT and expand the call record viewing period to one year starting October 1 of this year. Users who wish to view their mobile phone call records can apply through the respective telecom company's website or the nearest customer center.

The Personal Information Protection Commission stated, "This measure is based on the provision in the ‘Personal Information Protection Act’ that any individual can request access to their personal information processed by a personal information handler, and that access cannot be restricted without justifiable reasons," adding, "It clarifies that the access rights of data subjects stipulated in the Protection Act cannot be limited by terms of service, and it represents a case where telecom companies have guaranteed the access rights of data subjects."