Kakao announced on the 19th that it will revise the ‘KakaoTalk Operating Policy’ to strengthen protection for children and adolescents. Kakao posted this information on the 16th and plans to implement it from June 16.
This policy revision focuses on protecting children and adolescents. The goal is to strengthen responses and sanctions against inappropriate activities such as the distribution of illegal information. ▲ Specification of prohibited behaviors related to conversations for the purpose of sexual exploitation of children and adolescents (commonly known as ‘online grooming’) and expansion of sanctions targets ▲ Additional prohibitions on conversations for the purpose of prostitution and sexual exploitation ▲ Prohibition of sharing information related to preliminary terrorism, conspiracy incitement, propaganda, and violent extremism ▲ Prohibition of illegal debt collection practices.
Kakao expanded the application of the policy related to ‘conversations for the purpose of sexual exploitation of children and adolescents’ to include conversations between children and adolescents. Additionally, it specified behaviors such as sexual innuendos, excessive expressions of intimacy, requests for personal information, and suggestions to move to other chat platforms as specific prohibited acts. Furthermore, to prevent children and adolescents from exposing themselves to the risk of sexual offenses, it included actions such as ‘requesting money or other property benefits or conveniences from other users’ and ‘proposing paid sexual encounters’ as prohibited items.
Kakao stated, “We apply the principle of zero tolerance to crimes against children and adolescents,” and noted, “If violations are confirmed through reports from users or organizations, the offending user may be permanently restricted from the entire KakaoTalk service.” It continued, “Users confirmed to have a history of violating policies related to crimes against children and adolescents may also face permanent restrictions on using the open chat service even after rejoining KakaoTalk.”
Previously, Kakao introduced a streamlined process for protective measures for minors last month to enhance protection for children and adolescents. It established the basis for restricting the use of open chat for children and adolescents with only the application of their legal guardians. The duration of these protective measures was also extended from the previous 180 days to one year. A separate category was established in the ‘Kakao Customer Center.’
Son Seong-hee, Kakao’s youth protection officer, stated, “We are continuously inspecting and improving services and operational policies so that users can use KakaoTalk in a safer and more trustworthy environment,” and added, “We will continue to strive to provide the optimal usage environment, considering the balance between user privacy and safety.”