Android Error Causes KakaoTalk 'Meoktong' Outage... Controversy Over Google's Delayed Response (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Bu Aeri] On the 23rd, Android smartphone users experienced over 7 hours of inconvenience due to app execution errors.

Starting around 8 a.m. that day, Android smartphones displayed a notification saying "App has stopped," causing access errors for apps such as KakaoTalk and Naver.

The error is presumed to have been caused by the system app "WebView" operating on the Android operating system (OS). It appears to have conflicted with existing apps following a recent update.

Some users mistook the issue for a smartphone malfunction and visited Samsung Electronics or LG Electronics service centers, resulting in long waiting lines and a minor commotion.

As a result, Google's delayed response came under criticism. Despite users experiencing inconvenience since the morning, Google only posted an official notice on its blog at 3 p.m.

Two hours later, at 5 p.m., Google announced that "all issues related to WebView causing Android app crashes have been resolved" and provided guidance on how to address the problem.

According to Google, the problem can be resolved by opening the Google Play app, searching for Android System WebView, and selecting the "Update" option. Google explained that updating "Chrome" in the same way eliminates app crash issues.

However, Google has faced criticism for not issuing an apology to users who endured over 7 hours of inconvenience during this process.

Meanwhile, the Korea Communications Commission has begun reviewing whether this controversy constitutes a matter for compensation. According to Article 33, Paragraph 2 of the Telecommunications Business Act, telecommunications service providers are required to inform users of any service interruptions, including the fact of the interruption and the standards and procedures involved.

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