'Nth Room Prevention Act' Passes National Assembly Science and ICT Committee Subcommittee

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] The so-called 'Nth Room Prevention Bill,' which strengthens the obligation of internet service providers to prevent the distribution of digital sexual crime materials, passed the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Communications Committee's bill subcommittee on the 6th.

The Information and Communications Broadcasting Bill Review Subcommittee of the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Communications Committee held a meeting that day and approved an amendment to the Network Act (Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc.) requiring information and communication service providers to appoint a person responsible for preventing the distribution of illegal filming materials.

The amendment also mandates that service providers submit an annual transparency report on illegal filming materials to the Korea Communications Commission.

In particular, a new 'extraterritorial provision' was established, stating that "this law applies if acts committed overseas affect the domestic market or users." This was in response to criticism that overseas internet service providers such as Google, Twitter, and Telegram have been passive in blocking sexual crime materials because they were not subject to domestic laws.

Along with this, an amendment to the Telecommunications Business Act imposing obligations on value-added telecommunications service providers and special-type value-added telecommunications service providers to delete and block access to illegal filming materials and obscene materials involving children and adolescents also passed.

However, the provision introducing punitive damages for information and communication service providers who fail to block distribution despite receiving reports of illegal filming materials was removed during the bill subcommittee review process.

The passed bills will be submitted to the full committee meeting of the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Communications Committee on the morning of the 7th. After passing the committee, the bills must pass the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and the plenary session to be enacted.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.