South Korea Bans Anonymous Posting On Popular Websites

from the no-anonymity-for-you dept

Fri, May 8th 2009 2:21pm — Mike Masnick

While the US courts have been quite clear over and over again that people have a right to post anonymously online, other countries have been a lot less open to the concept. Over in South Korea, we recently covered the lawsuit against an anonymous (ok, formerly anonymous) blogger who was accused of spreading "false rumors." Apparently there was also another recent case in the country, involving photos anonymously posted online of a woman who failed to clean up after her dog. In response, Korea has now passed a law that requires anyone posting on a site that has over 100,000 unique visitors a day to reveal their real names and national ID (found via Michael Scott). This seems quite extreme. There are certainly pros and cons to allowing anonymous speech, but it seems to go overboard to outlaw it completely on any relatively popular site.

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Filed Under: anonymity, south korea

21 Comments

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Tgeigs, 8 May 2009 @ 2:26pm

Like this?
Tgeigs ***-**-9006 here.

Just wanted to let you know that rules like this kinda blow.

Tgeigs ***_**-9006 out.
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Oscar Wilde, 8 May 2009 @ 2:33pm

To quote myself
"Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth."
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Anonymous Coward, 8 May 2009 @ 2:41pm

I don't think it's Teryaki...
What do they eat in South Korea? I am being very genuine in this question. Besides rice, what qualifies as "South Korean Cuisine"?

If the country was allowed to fall into poverty, by stopping purchase of their stuff, on the grounds of freedom or human rights violations, what types of dishes and desserts would we loose?
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Tgeigs, 8 May 2009 @ 2:51pm

Re: I don't think it's Teryaki...
Korean food, like the ability to Google answers to random questions such as this, is crazy awesome:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_cuisine
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Anonymous Coward, 8 May 2009 @ 2:57pm

Re: I don't think it's Teryaki...
we'll just have to endure without eating any dog meat for a while. I can do that. can you?
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Anonymous Coward, 8 May 2009 @ 3:03pm

Re: Re: I don't think it's Teryaki...
Oh. Well, I'm trying new Windows 7. I like it but there's a few problems- 1) they took the Google buttons off of the computer, flagged Google as a nefarious site and the hostsfile is locked! Lastly, I am forced to use Live Search!

Thanks for the link, Tgeigs. Your a life saver!
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Eric, 8 May 2009 @ 4:31pm

Use real information??
Whats to prevent someone from using false information....I assume the site won't actually be validating the person's id and name...
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Anonymous Coward, 8 May 2009 @ 5:18pm

Re: Re: Re: I don't think it's Teryaki...
>Oh. Well, I'm trying new Windows 7. I like it but
>there's a few problems- 1) they took the Google
>buttons off of the computer, flagged Google
>as a nefarious site and the hostsfile is
>locked! Lastly, I am forced to use Live Search!

First off switch to Firefox. IE is generally a hazard with a barn door or three left open some where. Plus M$ is way too slow to get patches on the street. You should only use IE when nothing else will do.

I tend to make Google my homepage so I can get to it in a click.

I keep google as my home page.
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Joe, 8 May 2009 @ 6:46pm

I don't think it's extreme, put into context.

1. They have a very active netizen culture there.
2. They have an anti-fan phenomenon there.
3. Anti-fans (people who take an active interest in defaming or hating a particular person/celebrity) have directly/indirectly caused deaths.

To everyone else around the world, such behavior is totally absurd, but it occurs there.

Am not a foremost expert in this matter, and i'm sure there are other issues surrounding this one, but from what i do know, it's to curb such hate crimes.
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tyler, 8 May 2009 @ 7:55pm

to put things in perspective
in south korea, truth isn't an absolute defense to libel...they just had the first jury trial only just a few years ago, and you can go to prison for adultery.

this doesn't surprise me at all.
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Tgeigs, 8 May 2009 @ 8:47pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: I don't think it's Teryaki...
Correct, w/one caveat.

Not only should you convert to Firefox and NEVER touch IE again, but not only make Google your homepage, but sign up for a throw away Gmail account and get yourself an iGoogle age. That is where I discovered Techdirt via RSS feed. On one age I have the TD and Slashdot RSS, plus updated sports live box scores for NHL/MLB/NBA/NFL/NCAA, plus radar weather, CNN, and SI. Get it, love it, thank me later...
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Barack, 9 May 2009 @ 5:10am

Re:
Anti-fans (people who take an active interest in defaming or hating a particular person/celebrity) have directly/indirectly caused deaths.
Oh, you mean like DailyKos, Huffington Post, New York Times, Media Metters, Perez (the fag) Hilton, Janet Napolitano, George Clooney, Rosie (the pig) O'Donnell......just to name a few
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Ranjit, 9 May 2009 @ 6:37pm

Being Judgemental
Mike, while you speak of the (possible) rights of the person to write anonymously, i think there is also the rights of the reader to know the identity of the poster.
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Anonymous Coward, 9 May 2009 @ 9:40pm

Re: Being Judgemental
...i think there is also the rights of the reader to know the identity of the poster.

That's funny coming from an anonymous poster. Hypocrite.
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The Real Ranjit, 9 May 2009 @ 9:42pm

Re: Being Judgemental
You're not Ranjit, I'm Ranjit!
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Seoul dude, 11 May 2009 @ 1:01am

Anon posting
A poster above suggests that Korean websites don't check id. Yup they absolutely do. You cannot even get anon korean language webmail accounts anymore.

Basically, they take your details and also your equivalent social security number which is totally unique to you and is registered at birth. They also have your fingerprints tied to that number. The SSN and prints are held in your own city hall and also centrally.

It's frankly orwellian.
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Tgeigs, 11 May 2009 @ 1:05pm

Joke of the day
"Besides rice, what qualifies as "South Korean Cuisine"?"

Seoul Food....
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Techdirt Account, 27 Jun 2009 @ 10:55pm

Practice my jeenshee-eeem hyphenism. It is quite lovely. And not adversely affecting anything in my system right now. So you see? I'm NOT insane! Let's be real sweet and make lots of Lucky Charms!
Can't handle it?
Deal with these issues!

They're the best!

(psst. someone should be writing these at the same time as me!)

yeee heee heeeee!
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Jul 2009 @ 10:18pm

Re: Like this?
FUCK AT&T!! Censorship is BAD!!!! RT @digg_2000: "AT&T blocks 4chan!" - http://digg.com/d2yfYE?t1
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gds, 10 May 2011 @ 6:54am

Re: Re: Re: I don't think it's Teryaki...
dsf
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