[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] The Personal Information Protection Commission and the Korea Internet & Security Agency announced on the 1st that they will conduct intensive crackdowns together with the public and local governments until the end of July to eradicate the illegal distribution of personal information. The main targets are posts containing the buying and selling of personal information online and information related to the movement paths of COVID-19 confirmed cases past the disclosure period.
This crackdown is a measure considering that illegally distributed personal information on the internet is being exploited for various crimes such as scam calls (voice phishing), and that due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, movement path information of confirmed cases past the disclosure period is indiscriminately spreading on websites, causing privacy violations and secondary damage to businesses included in the movement paths. During the intensive crackdown period, detection work through the personal information exposure response system will be conducted daily, and the number of experts will be increased from 12 to 25 to strengthen detection capabilities.
During the intensive crackdown period, the Personal Information Protection Commission and the Korea Internet & Security Agency will form a “Personal Information Illegal Distribution Prevention Inspection Team” consisting of 30 university (graduate) students who are highly interested in personal information protection activities. This team will track and support the deletion of illegally distributed posts on sites where automatic detection by the exposure response system is difficult, using keyword searches and other methods. Taking this crackdown as an opportunity, they plan to activate public participation in preventing infringements in the field of personal information protection and diversify detection channels for illegally distributed personal information. The Personal Information Protection Commission plans to analyze the results of the intensive crackdown and request investigations from the National Police Agency on sellers and buyers who habitually illegally distribute personal information.
Song Sang-hoon, Director of the Investigation and Coordination Bureau of the Personal Information Protection Commission, stated, “We will proactively respond to the illegal distribution of personal information that can infringe on personal privacy and be exploited for various crimes,” and added, “We will continue to actively strive to protect the public’s personal information and prevent infringements.”
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