Kakao Launches 3rd Privacy Advisory Committee and Revises Algorithm Ethics Charter

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Kakao announced on the 11th that it has launched the 3rd Privacy Advisory Committee and added privacy protection provisions to the ‘Kakao Algorithm Ethics Charter.’

Kakao established the ‘Privacy Advisory Committee,’ composed of external experts, in October 2014 as part of its efforts to protect user personal information. Since advising on Kakao’s first Transparency Report in 2015, the committee has provided counsel on privacy protection issues and matters requiring improvement from the user’s perspective.

The newly formed Privacy Advisory Committee is chaired by Professor Ilhwan Kim of Sungkyunkwan University School of Law. Professor Kim has served as the dean of Sungkyunkwan University School of Law and as president of the Korean Constitutional Law Association. Other members include attorney Hwangyeong Ko of the law firm Kwangjang, Professor Youngjun Kwon of Seoul National University School of Law, Professor Kyungho Lee of Korea University Graduate School of Information Security, attorney Su-kyung Lee of the law firm Hwawoo, and Professor Boreum Choi of the Department of Business Administration at the University of Seoul, all of whom have demonstrated deep research achievements and extensive activities in the IT information security field.

As its first activity after its inauguration on the 10th, the 3rd Privacy Advisory Committee added new provisions on privacy protection to the ‘Kakao Algorithm Ethics Charter.’ The new provisions include commitments to uphold privacy protection principles throughout the entire process of designing and operating services and technologies that utilize algorithms. Kakao plans to introduce and develop preventive measures, inspections, and personal information impact assessments across its services from an ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management perspective to protect privacy.

Meanwhile, Kakao established the ‘Kakao Algorithm Ethics Charter’ in 2018 as the first domestic company to set principles regarding AI technology development and ethics to establish ethical norms befitting its social responsibility. Since then, the ethics charter has been improved in line with changing times, including aspects such as ‘technological inclusiveness’ and ‘protection of children and adolescents.’

Chairman Ilhwan Kim stated, “We will spare no advice to ensure that Kakao can fulfill its social responsibility in terms of privacy policy, including establishing policies that balance data utilization and user privacy protection.”

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