Average Daily Users Exceed 100,000, Meeting Requirements
Plan to Impose Mandatory Designation of Domestic Agents Also Under Review
The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) announced on the 7th that it has officially notified Telegram that it falls under the category of business operators required to designate a Youth Protection Officer. The designated business operators must appoint the head of the department responsible for youth protection as the Youth Protection Officer and establish related plans and carry out relevant duties.
The KCC confirmed that harmful media content for youth, such as deepfake sexual crime videos, is being distributed on Telegram and sent two requests for submission of materials regarding whether Telegram meets the criteria for designating a Youth Protection Officer in September and October. However, Telegram did not respond within the deadline.
Accordingly, since Telegram’s average daily users exceed 100,000, meeting the criteria for mandatory designation of a Youth Protection Officer, the KCC requested Telegram to submit the designation results on this day and to provide explanatory materials if there are any objections.
According to Article 25 of the Enforcement Decree of the Information and Communications Network Act, business operators with an average daily user count of 100,000 or more over the previous three months as of the end of the previous year are subject to mandatory designation of a Youth Protection Officer.
Referring to statistics from two specialized institutions that publish the daily average user scale of information and communication service providers, the average number of users in the fourth quarter of last year was 848,000.
The KCC sets a two-week response period for overseas companies. If Telegram continues to fail to respond, the KCC is also considering imposing fines.
Additionally, based on the history of requests for submission of materials under the Telecommunications Business Act, the KCC is considering imposing an obligation to designate a domestic agent on Telegram.
The KCC stated, "As the number of domestic Telegram users steadily increases, we believe it is necessary to enforce legal obligations to create an environment where the service can be safely used within the regulatory framework," adding, "If the demands are not met, we plan to continuously pursue phased sanctions."
Kim Tae-gyu, Acting Chairman of the KCC, said, "We hope that from this notification point, Telegram will strengthen its social responsibility as a business operator protecting children and youth from harmful information within the regulatory framework."
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