"'Jeonladian' No More"…Nakao Applies Hate Speech Guidelines

The Korea Internet Self-Governance Organization (hereinafter KISO) announced the 'Hate Speech Self-Regulation Policy Guidelines' on the 28th.

The guidelines apply commonly to KISO member companies such as Naver, Kakao, and SK Communications. This is the first time a common guideline for internet service providers regarding online hate speech has been established.

The KISO Hate Speech Deliberation Committee, launched in August last year, worked with experts in media, Korean linguistics, sociology, and law through an eight-month deliberation process to include definitions of hate speech, scope of application, obligations of member companies and users, as well as judgment and measures.

The guidelines define hate speech as "expressions that justify, promote, or reinforce discrimination or incite or advocate violence against a specific group or its members based on race, nationality, ethnicity, region, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion, occupation, disease, etc. (hereinafter referred to as 'specific attributes')."

To be judged as hate speech, three conditions must all be met: ▲expressions related to specific attributes ▲expressions targeting a specific group or its members ▲expressions that justify, promote, or reinforce discrimination or incite or advocate violence. However, even if the third condition of 'justifying, promoting, or reinforcing discrimination or inciting or advocating violence' is not met, if the expression demeans or mocks a specific group or its members based on specific attributes, measures can be taken. When determining whether an expression constitutes hate speech, not only the meaning of the words but also the context in which they are used are considered.

However, expressions related to ▲public duties of public officials such as national institutions, local governments, or political appointees ▲public interest matters concerning the duties of public officials or media organizations ▲political opinions related to citizens' fundamental rights ▲other expressions not targeting specific groups or their members are excluded from hate speech judgment.

The guidelines are principally applied to areas open to the public. If judged as hate speech, measures such as deletion or exposure restriction will be taken. At this time, the author can provide evidence that the expression is not hate speech and request reposting or raise objections.

Lee Seung-seon, chairman of the Hate Speech Deliberation Committee and professor of media and communication at Chungnam National University, said, "Although the process of defining hate speech was arduous, we were able to complete the guidelines based on the fundamental principle of respecting freedom of expression while fostering a healthy internet culture," and added, "Since users are also highly interested in hate speech, we expect active discussion and participation."