Internet rating system to be overhauled

The government has reversed its stance on the Internet rating system, which raised a controversy over cyber-screening and sparked a hacker attack on the homepage of the Ministry of Information and Communication.

The Ministry suggested on Monday that clauses pertaining to the Internet rating system be amended or even deleted as suggested by civic groups and netizens.

The ministry amended and clarified the scope of the target parties that must adopt the Internet rating system from ¡°those information providers providing information materials harmful to juveniles¡± to ¡°those information providers providing information materials classified as harmful according to the juvenile protection law.¡± The ministry revealed that the scope of the rating system will be restricted to materials containing violence and pornography. In addition, the ministry amended the original plan to have the Information Communication Ethics Committee (ICEC) prepare and announce standards for the rating system. Instead, the ministry ordered the ICEC to work with various experts, juvenile protection groups and civic groups to formulate the standards for announcement.

The ministry accepted civic groups` suggestions to delete clauses in the rating system that order a information provider to designate personnel for the handling of illegal information materials, allow information providing businesses to share personal information on individuals using illegal information and restrict them from accessing certain information, and that allow information providers to keep access records of users for certain period of time to be submitted to an investigating agency upon request.

Ceong Yeong-Tae ebizwiz@donga.com