[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] A bill has been proposed that requires platform operators to actively intervene in damages suffered by platform users or service providers due to ‘posting false information, malicious comments, and rating terrorism.’
On the 29th, Representative Lee Yibin (The Democratic Party of Korea, Gwangju Gwangsan Gap) announced that he had taken the lead in proposing the “False Information, Malicious Comments, and Rating Terrorism Damage Prevention Act (Amendment to the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection).”
The bill contains provisions that impose an obligation on information and communication service providers (platform operators), who mediate the distribution of information, to take management measures commensurate with their social influence regarding false, exaggerated, or deceptive information that directly causes economic damage to platform users or service providers.
According to the “Comprehensive Measures Report on Improvement of Delivery App Rating and Review System” submitted by the Korea Communications Commission to Representative Lee’s office, as of last year, 20% of dining establishments use delivery apps.
It is analyzed that the use and dependence on delivery apps are increasing due to the normalization of non-face-to-face lifestyles following the spread of COVID-19 and the activation of the platform economy.
Regarding the problems of the current delivery app rating and review system, the report points out ▲a structure where businesses become more absorbed in reviews than their main work ▲lack of response measures for small businesses against false or malicious ratings and reviews ▲damage caused by platform operators shifting responsibility to small businesses.
In May, there was an incident where a consumer left malicious comments and rating terrorism a day after ordering food, and the platform operator unilaterally demanded an apology from the restaurant owner, who later died of a cerebral hemorrhage.
Malicious comments and rating terrorism lead to a sharp decrease in sales and income damage for self-employed individuals, causing serious blows to their livelihoods.
Taking advantage of this, companies that buy and sell receipts for creating ratings or receipt-certified comments are thriving online or on SNS, and comment part-time workers are hired to obstruct competitors’ businesses, fundamentally causing a vicious cycle that lowers the credibility of platform ratings and comments.
So far, platform operators have been criticized for being passive in deleting or blocking false information or rating terrorism directed at self-employed or other platform service providers, citing internal policy reasons of the platform service.
Moreover, unlike home shopping regulated under the current Broadcasting Act, live commerce has no regulatory measures.
Also, internet personal broadcasters induce users’ investments with false, exaggerated, or deceptive information related to Bitcoin, rapidly rising stocks, etc., gaining economic benefits or causing economic damage to users, raising the need for certain management measures and obligations.
Representative Lee said, “The social influence of information distribution mediated by platforms is growing, but considering the recent trend of consumers deciding purchases based on platform reputation, false, deceptive, and exaggerated information ultimately causes unfair damage to the daily lives of the people,” adding, “This should no longer be ignored or handled lightly as an internal issue between parties on the platform but treated as a very serious social problem.”
He continued, “Through the False Information, Malicious Comments, and Rating Terrorism Damage Prevention Act, consumer sovereignty should be restored, and the government and platform operators should be made to fulfill social responsibilities to prevent unfair damages experienced by self-employed individuals and consumers and to prevent recurrence,” adding, “I hope that the fairness and soundness of the platform economy will be strengthened so that all citizens are thoroughly protected from the limitations and side effects of the information distribution structure of the platform economy.”
He also said, “For the platform economy to shed the stigma of being a ‘neglect economy disguised as sharing,’ platform operators must show greater sincerity to our society,” and added, “Through the national audit, I will focus on inspecting ▲the government’s improvement measures for preventing damages from false information, malicious comments, and rating terrorism ▲the response status of platform operators, and ▲the level of fulfillment of social responsibilities.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
