Access Blocked to 'Digital Gyodoso'...KCSC Warns of "Double Punishment...Concerns Over False Accusation Damage"

KCSC Decides to Implement Access Blocking

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] The Korea Communications Standards Commission has decided to block access to the controversial website ‘Digital Gyodoso’ (Digital Prison), which has recently sparked controversy after personal information of a university student was exposed, leading to the student's death.

On the 25th, the Communications Review Subcommittee of the Commission stated, “Freedom of expression must be protected to the greatest extent possible, but posting various personal information on Digital Gyodoso can result in double punishment or cause innocent victims who cannot easily recover.” They decided to block access. Not only were victims harmed by posting objectively unverified or false information, but even if the information is not false, imposing private sanctions outside the bounds of the law undermines legal order, which was also a reason for the access block decision.

Digital Gyodoso, launched in July, gained attention by arbitrarily disclosing personal information of criminals involved in serious crimes such as sex offenses and child abuse. The site stated its purpose as “feeling limited by lenient punishments for heinous criminals and directly disclosing their personal information to subject them to social judgment.” However, criticism followed after a university student accused as a perpetrator committed suicide while protesting his innocence, and an innocent university professor’s personal information was exposed as a perpetrator.

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