On January 16, KST, Representative Lee Soojin of the Democratic Party of Korea introduced a new bill to restrict private companies like HYBE and more from collecting biometric data.
The bill, which will amend the Personal Information Protection Act, proposes adding biometric information such as fingerprints, facial recognition, iris, palm vein data, and so on to the list of sensitive information subject to processing restrictions. It also stipulates that data collectors must prioritize methods that don’t involve collecting sensitive data to avail themselves of their goods and services.
Companies such as HYBE, Interpark Triple, and Viva Republica are among those that plan to implement or have already implemented facial recognition for entering concerts and other events. Since the existing law does not specifically address biometric information under the Personal Information Protection Act Enforcement Decree, more precise legal measures are required to manage the excessive requirement of biometric data.
Rep. Lee emphasized the need to regulate private companies’ biometric data collection for services and reiterated that such companies should offer alternatives to facial recognition to access their services. She expressed concern over what kind of consequences such biometric data collection could bring about when deepfake crimes are so rampant worldwide.
If passed, the new Personal Information Protection Act will empower the authorities to charge data collectors with legal penalties in case there is a leak of customer data.
Netizens have wholeheartedly welcomed this new bill.
- “Good.”
- “This is really needed.”
- “Please do something about companies asking for excessive personal information from fans during pre-recordings. Why do you have to call out the fans’ addresses and resident registration numbers in front of others?”
- “Good, good.”
- “Please.”
Source: Theqoo