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South Korea seeks to censor broadband users

South Korea intends to bring in new rules that will govern what is acceptable for broadband users to write on the internet, it has been revealed.

From November, all South Korean websites that publish or distribute news or comment will be subject to the same laws that govern print newspapers and offline television and radio programming. All online content distributors who transmit via broadband will be answerable to the Korean Communications Standards Commission.

However, some have expressed unease at the fact the rules will apply to individual broadband users as well as organisations. All users of online forums and chatrooms will have to fill out applications using their real names and addresses (in much the same way that UK citizens are required to by newspaper letters pages) and all articles and postings made using broadband will be subject to a 30-day suspension if the Standard Commission believe them to be fraudulent, indecent or slanderous.

The country is one of the global leaders in broadband, with 97 per cent of its citizens having access to high speed broadband connections. Broadband use is so common in South Korea that children as young as seven are given 'internet etiquette' lessons at school, to prepare them for broadband use in later life.

The news comes after we told how China was monitoring broadband users' access to the Skype chat program, and logging calls and messages it deemed 'offensive' in a huge secret database.

08/10/2008
Author: CompareBroadbandUK staff writer

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