[Editor's note] Recently, provocative keywords have been used to attract clicks, resulting in unwanted advertising mobile messages proliferating. These are online spam advertisements that exploit lenient penalties and regulatory blind spots. We examine the domestic and international situation and seek possible solutions.
Kim, a person surnamed Kim who runs a restaurant in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, clicked on an online post titled 'Delivery man's mistake' on Facebook last month. Only about a third of the content was displayed, with a message saying, 'Please click the comment link to see the full text.' When entering the site, there was no content, and repeatedly, a page of women's underwear products on the Coupang website appeared. Kim pressed 'back,' but could not escape the Coupang page.
Choi, a person surnamed Choi in his 40s, recently clicked on an ad while watching Instagram Reels (short videos) and accidentally accessed an adult site. As embarrassing scenes were displayed through his smartphone speaker on the subway after work, he was startled. Choi wanted to turn off the ad, but the delete button was so small that he couldn't remove it for a while.
◇ The spread of 'kidnapping ads' since the introduction of Coupang Partners... No blocking system is in place, effectively leaving it unattended
According to industry sources on the 4th, online spam advertisements that lure user clicks with provocative keywords such as celebrities and exposure are rampant. Some ads have small close buttons, and even after clicking the delete button, they do not disappear. Despite the recession, the online advertising market continues to grow, with an influx of advertisements aimed at generating revenue. A source in the commerce industry noted, 'There is a growing number of unscrupulous vendors who are not concerned about actual marketing effectiveness and prioritize metrics such as reach or visitor counts, which are standards for revenue.'
The problem is that the corporations responsible for managing these online spam ads are neglecting user inconveniences. For instance, Coupang has been criticized for effectively leaving kidnapping ads unattended in order to expand revenue. Kidnapping ads refer to 'redirection ads' that automatically lead users to online sites even without clicking the access button.
Coupang introduced a system called 'Coupang Partners' in July 2018. This system was benchmarked from the Associates program that Amazon had started in 1996 and successively refined for mobile environments. Both Coupang and Amazon provide a commission to media channel operators when users enter their website or app through ads posted on homepages, blogs, and social media.
Kidnapping ads rapidly spread following the introduction of Coupang Partners. Contractors who entered agreements with Coupang have increasingly forced web and app access without user consent using techniques such as cross-site history manipulation (XSHM) to boost their commission revenue. The use of XSHM allows the manipulation of users' browser visit histories, 'kidnapping' users to advertising pages by controlling sites they attempt to return to via the 'back' button.
Kim, a person surnamed Kim, a 10-year IT developer, said, 'Developing systems to technically block kidnapping ads is not difficult as various solutions are already available; a skilled developer could whip one up in six months.'
Coupang has established regulations to sanction kidnapping ads; however, the penalties are shockingly inadequate compared to Amazon. 'Technical prohibition actions' and 'invalid click actions' need to be detected three times for the contract to be terminated. Immediate account termination is only possible when 'inappropriate content posting' such as sexual violence or crime glorification is detected. In contrast, Amazon has imposed zero-tolerance principles on most prohibited actions, including 'kidnapping ads.'
◇ Kakao's 'brand message'... Potential spam bomb targeting regulatory blind spots
Kakao's corporate advertising product 'brand message,' launched in May this year, has stirred controversy as it can send spam bombs without user consent. Kakao restructured its existing 'friend talk' feature, which required users to add specific businesses as friends before receiving advertising messages, to allow users to receive ads simply by consenting to 'marketing reception.'
An industry source noted, 'From the user's perspective, receiving advertising notifications from unwanted corporations is no different from receiving 'spam texts.' Telecommunications companies are under the management and supervision of the Korea Communications Commission and the Personal Information Protection Commission and have obligations to manage illegal spam under the Telecommunications Business Act. In contrast, KakaoTalk's brand messages are not under current laws, leading to claims that they occupy a regulatory blind spot.
Kakao has established a 'personalized' advertising system that connects Kakao account information with advertisers' customer relationship management (CRM) data during the brand message dispatch process. This structure raises concerns that users' personal information may be used for purposes other than its collection, which could violate personal information protection laws.
Kwak Do-sung, head of the Citizens' Coalition for Consumer Sovereignty, said, 'Consumers may feel fatigue from the increased advertisement exposure and anxiety from the expanded use of personal information,' adding, 'KakaoTalk users might receive more 'advertising messages' that they did not consent to and may have to bear higher data expenses.'
◇ Overseas, companies are 'listening in' on smartphones to deliver personalized ads... Establishing safety nets in the AI era is essential
Overseas, there are indications that corporations are resorting to 'smartphone eavesdropping' for consumer personalized advertising. Presentation materials leaked last year from the Cox Media Group (CMG) revealed that they generate personalized ads by collecting and analyzing users' conversations in real-time through software called 'Active Listening.' This company is one of Facebook's marketing partners.
Active Listening is known to collect voice data through microphones embedded in smartphones and laptops, providing features that assess users' purchasing intentions. There are also allegations that companies like Google and Amazon are using this technology.
Personalized ads are also spreading domestically. According to the Personal Information Protection Commission, as of this year, 104 (73.8%) of the 141 member companies in the Korea Digital Advertising Association are operating businesses related to personalized advertising. A system is also emerging in which advertisers buy personalized ads in real-time auctions based on users' behavioral information (online activities such as visit history, purchases, and searches).
The Personal Information Protection Commission stated, 'There is concern that information gathered from web and app activities without users' awareness may be used for personalized advertising, leading to rights infringement and information abuse,' adding, 'The ability to infer sensitive information such as thoughts, beliefs, and political views through profiling has reached levels beyond just estimating interests and preferences.'
Professor Park Sung-soon from the Department of Media Content at Paejae University said, 'Personalized advertising is likely to spread further in the AI era,' emphasizing, 'Given the extensive information gathering taking place, establishing safeguards against abuse is essential.'