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| Title | TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE PROVIDERS INCREASED USER PROTECTION AND HARM PREVENTION EFFORTS | ||
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| Date | 2025-03-24 | Read | 4276 |
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The evaluation score increased by 9.2 points with enhanced user protection policies, including improvements in complaint management systems. Telecommunications service providers have significantly strengthened their user protection and harm prevention efforts over the past year. It is evaluated that most providers are enhancing their user protection policies by improving their user-complaint management systems, leading to an increase in evaluation scores by 9.2 points year on year. The Korea Communications Commission (KCC, Chairperson Lee Jinsook) held the 6th KCC Meeting of 2025 and deliberated on and approved the “2024 Telecommunications Service Providers User Protection Activities Evaluation Results” on March 19. The evaluation is conducted every year under the “Telecommunications Business Act” with the results disclosed to the public, aiming to encourage providers to enhance their user protection efforts by swiftly and efficiently handling complaints and preventing harm to telecommunications service users. Considering the number of users and complaints in 2023, the evaluation is conducted involving 46 service providers across 13 service sectors, including facilities-based and value-added telecommunications. The evaluated telecommunications sectors include mobile communications, high-speed internet, mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), app marketplaces, search engine services, social media, OTT, shopping and delivery services, and second-hand transaction platforms. The evaluation criteria are as follows: ▲ Adequacy of user protection management systems ▲ Compliance with relevant regulations ▲ User harm prevention measures ▲ User feedback and complaints management ▲ Other user protection activities The average score for all operators is 886.7 on a 1000-point scale, which is a 9.2-point increase compared to the previous year, demonstrating that operators' user protection efforts increased significantly. The KCC explained that this was due to enhanced efforts to prevent harm to the vulnerable members of our society by domestic providers and their improvements in user protection activities, such as user-complaint management systems. However, some global value-added telecommunications businesses and small MVNOs received low scores, indicating a need for improvements in their user protection activities. First, in the facilities-based telecommunications service sector, SK Telecom (SKT) received an “Excellent” rating, while LGU+ (one rating lower than the previous year) and KT received “Very Good” ratings. In the facilities-based high-speed internet sector, five operators?SKT, LGU+, KT (one rating higher than the previous year), HCN (one rating higher than the previous year), and SK Broadband?received “Excellent” ratings. D’live (one rating lower than the previous year) and LG HelloVision received “Very Good” ratings, and CMB received a “Good” rating. In the value-added app market sector, Samsung Electronics, Onestore, and Google LLC (one rating higher than the previous year) received “Very Good” ratings. Notably, Apple Inc., a company that had been receiving “Poor” ratings, received a “Good” rating, which is two ratings higher than the previous year, by actively participating in consulting programs and gaining a better understanding of user protection. All five operators, including Naver (an “Excellent” rating in the shopping sector), Kakao (a “Very Good” rating in the search service sector), Kakao Talk (a “Very Good” rating in the social media sector), 11st (a “Very Good” rating in the shopping sector), and Wavve (a “Good” rating in the OTT sector), saw their ratings increase by one level compared to the previous year. It is analyzed that value-added telecommunications business operators’ overall user protection activities have improved. However, Netflix Services Korea in the value-added OTT sector received a “Poor” rating this year, which is one rating lower than the previous year, and Meta Platforms Inc. received a “Poor” rating for the second consecutive year. Among newly evaluated providers, Kakao Mobility and Daangn received “Very Good” ratings for their active participation in consulting programs during the pilot evaluation periods, the submission of relevant documents, and a good understanding of user protection activities. However, KT Skylife and Free Telecom received "Poor" ratings. One of the best practices is KTM Mobile’s system to prevent user harm caused by identity theft by establishing a dedicated task force to combat fraudulent use and sharing know-how related to small and medium-sized MVNOs. Other best practices include Naver Band, which prevented investment fraud scams impersonating celebrities and institutions by operating reporting and real-time monitoring systems, and Baedal Minjok run by Woowa Brothers, which increased convenience for elderly users by introducing a senior consultation service. The KCC will inform providers of their evaluation grades, scores, areas for improvement, and best practices to encourage voluntary improvements in their user protection efforts. Operators that have received consecutive "Poor" ratings will be guided to undergo special consulting programs to enhance their user protection. Chairperson Lee Jin-sook of the KCC stated, “While most operators are strengthening their user protection policies, some remain at the ‘Poor’ rating level. The KCC will work to improve the overall level of user protection by recommending special consulting programs and enhancing on-site evaluations on such operators.” Attachment: 2024 Telecommunications Operators’ User Protection Activities Evaluation Results ### The Korea Communications Commission |
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20250319_News_Release_Evaluation Results.docx |
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