YouTube's legal end-run irks Korean officials

Google's advice on sidestepping a South Korean law against anonymous YouTube video postings and comments doesn't seem to be sitting well with some of the country's authorities.

Google, citing free-speech concerns, on Monday said it will comply with the Korean law--but by prohibiting uploads and comments rather than by requiring people to verify their identities. And it told people they could work around the constraint by visiting another country's version of the video-sharing site.

Now the backlash is beginning to set in, according to one Korean media report.

"Korea Communications Commission network policy official Hwang Cheol-jeung says that the commission will be examining whether or not Google has engaged in illegal activities in any of the various services it operates in South Korea," the Hankyoreh reported Friday, saying that could include many more Google activities than just YouTube.

The report also said Google's Korean chief, Lee Won-jin, defended the move on Korean TV. And an editorial in the same publication sided with Google, describing the law's origins in government's effort to "suppress criticism on the Internet" and calling the KCC's actions "childish."

Google didn't respond to a request for comment.

[monkeyfun14]

Oh no people may actually have free thoughts?

[TheStairMaster]

i'm not sure what anonymity has to do with free speech. The only reason to want to work around a law requiring that your identity must be verified to upload content would be if you wanted to upload content that you knew would be illegal and that you didn't want to get caught.

[nSeika]

It's when the country is considered to be too tight on free speech, such as someone could "disappear" after they make a strong comment about their government. <== maybe too extreme for example
In that case, someone who want to send out their opinion to the world, yet still dear their life, needed that anonimity right ? :)

[Dalkorian]

Those who remain ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it. The ignorance (I hope it's ignorance!) in your post is astounding, try going to your history class sometimes and see why your viewpoint is so very dangerous and wrong.

[shootthecops]

*similar laws coming soon the United States and Europe

[monkeyfun14]

What are you talking about?

[nSeika]

The government could just block out YouTube.
After all, what do they have to lose ? Seems like many already think they're not supporting their peoples criticizing them and hides behind anonimity anyway.

[_makio_]

that's what happens in China...

[ddhboy]

And so South Korea joins the lists of East Asian countries that have essentially been banned from youtube.

[professionaladventurer]

I wrote about this subject here in Alaska after a friend who writes a very popular political blog was "outed" by a politician using his old contacts at the Anchorage Daily News. Read if here: http://proadventurer.blogspot.com/2009/04/anonymous-blog.html

[sanenazok]

Serves them right. Nobody is entitled to anonymity you have to protect your identity carefully if you want to be anonymous.

[gggg sssss]

lets all stop buying Korean cars - Hyundai, Kia, computers made by Daewoo, Acer, all machinery. Post what we have not purchasd on YouTube. That woudl get their attention.

[monkeyfun14]

i'll pass.

[scarletdev]

God help us, the American education system at work...

North Korea and South Korean are two entirely different countries. Hyundai, Kia etc are -South- Korean companies and our allies. The only thing we get out of North Korea is laughs.

[inachu1]

USA is a nation made up of all nations and therefore has websites in all langues of the world.
Google may not operate in every nation or perhaps only in USA but offers langues other than english and does not mean because something in Korean means it operates in Korea.

So technical facts of the issues need to be ironed out. If they find Google does not operate in Korea then Google can do as it pleases and will be held innocent of all charges.

[free_fight49]

i can see this happening in australia if our government gets it's isp filtering though.

[Lumiseon]

Can we just take over Korea already?