Prohibition on the Storage, Retention, and Management of Biometric Information such as Facial Data
"Not a Restriction on Biometric Authentication... Establishing Safeguards"
On the 24th, Kim Minjeon, a member of the People Power Party, proposed a bill prohibiting the storage, retention, and management of biometric information used for identity verification when activating mobile phones. The intention is to reduce the damage from repeated large-scale personal information leaks at major companies such as Coupang and SK Telecom.
On this day, Assemblywoman Kim announced that she had sponsored a partial amendment to the Telecommunications Business Act, which would prohibit the storage, retention, and management of biometric information, such as facial data, used for biometric authentication during the mobile communication subscription process.
Kim Minjeon, a member of the People Power Party, is questioning during the National Assembly Education Committee's audit of the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education held on the morning of October 17 last year at the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education in Hwajeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Yonhap News
The current Telecommunications Business Act requires identity verification procedures to prevent the fraudulent use of mobile communication devices. However, there have been criticisms that there is a lack of legal grounds for regulating the storage, retention, and management of biometric information in facial recognition-based biometric authentication.
In particular, as large-scale personal information leaks have repeatedly occurred at major companies such as Coupang and SK Telecom, concerns over the leakage of biometric information are growing.
Assemblywoman Kim pointed out that, unlike resident registration numbers, biometric information such as facial data used in the mobile phone activation process cannot be changed or reissued. Therefore, if leaked, it could lead to significant damage.
Assemblywoman Kim stated, "It is necessary to utilize technology for identity verification, but there is no reason for the most sensitive personal information, such as biometric data, to be unnecessarily stored or retained." She added, "This measure will help address public concerns about the potential for information to be leaked overseas, including to China." She further explained, "The amendment is not intended to restrict the introduction of biometric authentication itself, but to establish safeguards so that citizens' facial information is not left as data."
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