Cho Gyeong-tae, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, asserted regarding the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that "drug sales and prostitution posts remain searchable," adding that "if this situation is not improved by the end of this year, it should be designated as a harmful site and access blocked." In response, Ko Gwang-heon, Chairman of the Broadcasting Media Communications Review Committee, replied, "The committee will take all measures within its authority."
On the 22nd, at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, during the National Audit by the National Assembly Science, ICT and Broadcasting Committee, Jo (Rep.) questioned Kathleen Lin, Senior Director for the Asia-Pacific region at X, about issues related to drug and prostitution posts on the platform.
Jo (Rep.) stated, "Even at this moment today, drug posts and prostitution posts are searchable on X," and asked, "Are ads for drugs or prostitution filtered out in Japan but not in Korea?"
He further noted, "In Japan, searching for 'ice' (slang for drugs) brings up posts about ice cream, but that is not possible in Korea," adding, "There are questions as to whether X is generating revenue through ads for drugs and prostitution, which are prohibited under Korean law."
In response, Director Kathleen Lin said, "The same (banned word) filters are being applied in Korea as well," explaining, "We have policies to sanction illegal content or related products, and these are applied equally across all countries, regions, and languages."
Jo (Rep.) then emphasized, "Even at the consultation meeting with the Broadcasting Media Communications Review Committee on the 19th, only legal representatives from X appeared, while no operational heads attended," adding, "X has now degenerated into a platform for drug and prostitution ads in Korea. If this situation does not change by the end of this year, we must consider measures up to blocking access, similar to illegal harmful sites."
In response, Ko (Chairman) stated, "We will make active efforts," noting, "The Broadcasting Media Communications Review Committee has continuously issued correction requests to overseas big platforms during the review process. Unlike big platforms that relatively respond well to these requests, X has a very low acceptance rate for correction demands."
in TECH
