Personal Information Protection Commission Signs Agreement with Design Promotion Institute... Promoting Privacy-Centered Design

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] #1. Kim, who frequently uses unmanned study rooms (study cafes) to obtain certifications, inquired with the owner whether the fingerprint information registered on the kiosk for study room access is immediately destroyed after use, but did not receive a clear answer.

#2. Jang, a user of online video streaming services, checked the 'Privacy Policy' on the company's website to understand how the personal information provided during membership registration is used, but found it difficult to grasp the content due to the dense text.

These are common situations that people may encounter in daily life, illustrating the need for 'Privacy by Design (PbD)' to promote the safe use of personal information based on privacy protection. PbD refers to a method of incorporating users' privacy considerations into the design throughout the entire personal information processing process from the planning stage of product and service development.

On the 15th, the Personal Information Protection Commission announced on the 17th that it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korea Institute of Design Promotion at the Government Seoul Office to establish and spread PbD from a design perspective. Through this agreement, the two organizations will cooperate on ① applying Privacy by Design (PbD) in industrial sectors, ② supporting the operation of the National Personal Information Inspection Group, and ③ promoting privacy policy services based on service design.

First, the two organizations plan to form and operate a joint research team to improve laws and systems and promote pilot projects that can integrate PbD into new technology fields such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and autonomous vehicles. Additionally, by applying service design techniques to the activities of the National Personal Information Inspection Group launched in May this year, they will produce manuals to identify blind spots of personal information infringement in daily life and improve them from the public’s perspective. This refers to a method of developing and improving services that people truly want and need through careful observation and analysis of policy users’ experiences, behaviors, emotions, and psychology.

Yoon Jong-in, Chairperson of the Personal Information Protection Commission, said, “Proper personal information protection is possible only when all parties apply and spread privacy-centered design principles throughout the entire data lifecycle,” adding, “We will strive to establish a practice where companies consider privacy-centered design when developing products and services in response to the rapidly evolving new technology environment.”

Yoon Sang-heum, President of the Korea Institute of Design Promotion, said, “As personal information infringement factors increase recently, ensuring definite protection of personal information and safe data utilization is crucial,” and added, “Through this memorandum of understanding, we hope that design will strengthen citizens’ rights and that new technologies will protect personal information while contributing to the creation of social and economic added value through proper data use.”