KCC: "OTT Account Sharing Ban and Fee Increase Notices Must Be Clear"

On the 15th, Lee Dong-kwan, Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, held a meeting with representatives of the three major mobile carriers at the Korea Communications Commission in the Government Complex Gwacheon, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, to share the Commission's user protection and fair competition policies and to listen to the telecommunications industry's opinions on key issues.

Recently, as domestic and international online video services (OTT) have simultaneously raised subscription fees, making the so-called 'streamflation (streaming + inflation)' a reality, the government has urged major OTT companies to clearly notify users of important changes such as price increases.

The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) announced on the morning of the 23rd that it held a meeting with senior officials from five OTT companies (Netflix, TVING, Wavve, Disney Plus, Coupang Play).

The KCC requested OTT operators to make active efforts to prevent user inconvenience. In particular, the KCC emphasized that changes in Netflix's service policies could significantly impact users and ordered the company to strengthen guidance, including setting up call centers.

Additionally, when operators change major service details such as price increases or the introduction of ad-supported plans, they must clearly notify users of the changes. The KCC also asked that when different video qualities (HD, Full HD, UHD) are provided according to subscription plans, guidance should be enhanced so that users can clearly recognize this at the time of plan selection.

The KCC highlighted that Korea's content industry and global OTT operators have grown together and urged these companies to continue cooperating with domestic broadcasters and producers so that they can establish themselves as key platforms for the spread of Hallyu.

Lee Dong-kwan, Chairman of the KCC, said, "OTT services are a symbol of the competitiveness of the domestic content industry and a gateway for Hallyu content to reach the world." He added, "The KCC will actively support the symbiotic development of OTT services and the content industry." He also said, "We hope that operators will respond actively to the government's support efforts and take proactive measures to prevent user inconvenience during service processes."