DigiHunter

Google vs. Korean Government

Imagine Google, one of best and biggest search engine portal sites out there, holding a one-digit market share. well, not hard to imagine if it's in Korea. Korea has now disabled user uploads and comments on the Korean version of Google's YouTube video portal which is the only service doing an average job among other services. How did this happene?

This reaction came about as a means to boycott new rules, and part of a cyber defamation law that came into effect on April 1 for all locally serviced sites that contain over 100,000 unique visitors a day. It requires that users provide their real name and citizenship ID number for self-verification.

Google's reaction was simple but very offensive to the local Government since all other local sites are complying with the new ruling. And there is a reason for implementing this new policy, and that is the big problem of online bullying in a highly connected country like Korea. There have been several cases of online bullying ending up in suicide for the victim. Most bullying targets are top media stars.

It seems Google is the only site to have boycotted this new rule. Most Korean local sites have already implemented the requirement for users to verify their citizenship ID number and name when registering on their Web site. So, only international sites like Google need to make a decision on this new rule and whether to build a new verification system for their Korean-serviced sites, or to pass on the new requirements and lock down some of features to avoid problems.

However, such a reaction could cause some issues with the Government since Google is the only--and biggest--site to boycott the new ruling in Korea. I'm sure the Government will find ways to penalize Google soon.

Meanwhile, Google is saying it will protect the "freedom of speech" of its users to sites serviced by the company. But we all know that this depends on which country it is in. Google has in several cases given in to the country's policy regarding running a site, with China being a prime example. Google accepted the request of the Chinese Government to remove "Tiananmen Square Protests" from the search results for its China-serviced site.

Some people are assuming that Google can act like this because its current market share in Korea isn't huge and that it can stop servicing the Korean market without much loss if the Korean Government tries to punish it for its actions. Its current reaction is also possible as Korean users can decide to go to YouTube.com rather than YouTube.co.kr to upload or comment on UCC clips on YouTube. All anyone has to do is change their door to enter freedom of speech.

Koreans also don't want to lose a place like YouTube where they can upload and submit comments whatever they want to even if some of it is critical remarks about the Government or President. But Google should realize that if it wants to succeed in Korea, it should monitor other competitors move as well. That is the reason Google Korea still has a one-digit market share in Korea after a few years of here.

Google has also announced it will be cutting about 30 employees from its Korea office, which is about 30 percent of the total staff cuts from all the Google branches excluding the HQ.

Korean Netizens are also divided about this case. There are those who complain about the government move to try and control the public media and obtain personal information of Internet users who may generate instigations against the Government and there are those who say Google should follow the local regulations. When in Rome...

I still can't decide which move is the right one to take, and am of a divided mind now.

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