Cracking Down on Anonymous Web Posts

From July, Internet sites with more than 100,000 hits per day are required to use identification processes when their visitors post their messages, images and videos. Site administrators will face up to 30 million won fines when their users post without being identified.

Under the law revision covering network use promotion and personal information protection passed by the National Assembly late last year, the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) said on Jan.9 that it would implement a limited Internet real-name system. The revision requires government sites and sites with more than 100,000 visitors to implement a user identification procedure and its implementing ordinances will determine details.

Oh Sang-gyun, the secretary of the MIC information security and privacy bureau, said, “Among these sites, shopping mall sites are less vulnerable to defamation and invasion of privacy. Therefore, we are considering that only major portal and media sites would be subject to the revision.”

The MIC estimates that there are about 40 portal and media sites registering more than 100,000 hits per day. The MIC is expected to come up with ordinances drafts and confirm the coverage of the revision after holding public hearings in February.

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