Kakao privacy policy content

User Protection Report

Kakao is committed to being open and transparent about how we protect our users’ right.

Kakao strives to make a digital environment where anyone and everyone can participate without having to worry about security. Users, including minors, are protected from illegal and harmful contents, and copyrights in all areas, including music and video. Postings that include content that infringes on other people’s rights are handled through legitimate procedures.

Kakao strives to make a digital environment where anyone and everyone can participate without having to worry about security. Users, including minors, are protected from illegal and harmful contents, and copyrights in all areas, including music and video. Postings that include content that infringes on other people’s rights are handled through legitimate procedures.

Kakao does not comply with unreasonable requests from Governmental or Private Sector. Learn MoreOpen in new window

Process for handling rights of infringements reports

  1. 1. Defamation complaint submitted
  2. 2. Complainant requirement and post in question checked Requirements not met Additional material requested Requirements met Post(s) temporarily removed
  3. 3. Notify complainant and complainee of submitted report and subsequent process Repost request made w/in 30 days Post permanently deleted Repost request not made w/in 30 days Decision made following review
Process within five(5) days

Requests from Users

The copyright owner may send a request to suspend any copy/transmission of content that have infringed on his/her copyright. Kakao must impose the suspensions immediately after such requests have been submitted. External organizations that have been delegated rights by the copyright owner, such as the Korean Copyright Commission, can also request the service provider to suspend any copy/transmission that have infringed on a copyright owner’s rights using the same procedure provide above. View applicable law : Copyright ActOpen in new window

Trademark, portrait rights infringement

Owners of rights that have been infringed upon, including trademarks and likeness rights, can request the service provider to remove the infringed content from the service. Kakao immediately removes the content once such request has been submitted. View applicable law : Trademark ActOpen in new window

Personal information

Kakao makes efforts to protect users’ personal information from being leaked with technology and policy measures. However, if personal information is leaked under these circumstances, the user can request the service provider to remove his/her content from the service. View applicable law : Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc.Open in new window

Defamation

If a user’s right is infringed upon due to defamation, the user can request the service provider to remove the content from the service. However, if the illegality of the posting is unclear, or it is legally difficult to determine the illegality of the posting, the posting questioned for defamation is temporarily hidden for thirty (30) days, rather than being deleted from the service. The posting is not dealt with if it has already been deleted by the person who posted the content or if the individual has provided evidence for the posting. View applicable law : Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc.Open in new window

Kakao Copyright Reported
Processed
Copyright (3rd Party) Reported
Processed
Trademark Reported
Processed
Likeness Reported
Processed
Personal Information Reported
Processed
Defamation Reported
Processed
Requests from Users Table
2022 2023 2024
1H 2H 1H 2H 1H
18,666 7,192 5,411 9,419 6,608
17,613 6,246 3,583 7,762 5,757
3,868 5,886 1,388 2,315 1,701
3,858 5,886 1,388 2,315 1,701
21,541 79,759 130,457 78,917 38,298
17,743 38,683 44,391 33,943 15,926
2,322 1,394 1,423 2,902 1,729
1,868 988 754 2,373 1,489
295 197 207 244 97
280 192 143 233 85
18,322 15,535 15,527 12,955 14,908
15,520 12,720 12,735 10,126 12,691
  • Statistics before 2021, which shows Daum and Kakao separately, will be consolidated and displayed as "Kakao" starting on the first half of 2021.

  • Statistics prior to 2021 are available in the previous data.Open in new window

Requests from Government Agencies

  1. 1. Receipt - Submit the correction request of the Korea Communications Standards Commission and the official document of the relevant departments to Kakao
  2. 2. Check documents - Should requirements be fulfilled: check addressee, seal, documentary prerequisite, legal basis, etc. - Should requirements be unfulfilled: reply to the requestor why his/her request is undeliverable.
  3. 3. Process documents - Check if the posting described in the official document is traceable. - Notify a publisher of take-down measures
  4. 4. Review - Settlement procedures and results to be reexamined by the person in charge
  5. 5. Reply - Send the results and official document reply to the requesting entity - Process within five(5) days

Kakao actively fulfills corrective orders from government institutions pursuant to relevant laws and regulations. For voluntary control or a non-administrative request from governmental institutions, Kakao adequately responds to such requests by imposing post-delisting and other voluntary restraints when judged necessary.

The Korea Communications Commission may issue a corrective request to delist contents in question after deliberating on the illegality of information as conditioned in the relevant laws and regulations. In the event that an Internet company does not comply with such corrective requests herein, KCC shall be able to issue an order.

The Korea Communications Commission shall specifically request voluntary control over clearly illegal information such as obscene materials without deliberation. Kakao exerts voluntary control over the postings mentioned above when judged necessary under its Terms and Conditions.

Kakao does not directly handle content and account sanction requests from foreign governments and law enforcement agencies. If necessary, Kakao shall demand cooperation from the Korean Government or relevant judiciary authorities to process such requests. Foreign private institutions and individuals can report infringement of rights and harmful postings, but may not be provided with country data on settlement results since we do not classify reports by country. View applicable law : Act on the Establishment and Operation of Korea Communications CommissionsOpen in new window The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety can request the service provider to remove any content that have been posted for the purpose of selling drugs and medical supplies, as well as information on hazardous food, food that have been falsely labeled, and false or exaggerated advertisements of health food. The Military Manpower Administration can request the service provider to remove problematic posting related to the administration of military affairs. View applicable law : Pharmaceutical Affairs ActOpen in new window View applicable law : Pharmaceutical Affairs ActOpen in new window View applicable law : Functional Health Foods ActOpen in new window View applicable law : Military Service ActOpen in new window The Korea Internet and Security Agency (KISA) mainly request the service provider to handle postings that contains and leaks personal information. Kakao immediately deletes or reports such postings.

The police and associated organization can submit a request to handle pornographic content or obviously illegal content, and that posting is handled accordingly. However, if it is difficult to determine the illegality of the content, such as the content’s possibilities of defamation or violation of the National Security Law, the Korea Communications Standards Commission reviews the content in accordance with related laws and handles the content with the results of the review.

Kakao Korea Communications Standards Commission Correction Requested
Processed
Self-
regulation
Notice
Processed
Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Requested
Processed
Korea Internet and Security Agency Requested
Processed
National Policy Agency Requested
Processed
Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency Requested
Processed
Game Rating and Administration Committee Requested
Processed
Requests from Government Agencies Table
2022 2023 2024
1H 2H 1H 2H 1H
333 425 151 129 124
333 422 150 129 124
4 0 2 0 1
1 0 1 0 1
168 501 189 201 114
168 496 187 189 109
4,981 3,701 2,793 1,478 1,158
4,971 3,633 2,781 1,428 1,114
874 5,623 13,353 17,482 9,626
735 4,945 11,359 14,973 8,639
3,110 1,775 766 4,566 9,145
3,110 1,775 766 4,566 9,133
211 198 193 154 386
210 193 193 153 385
  • Statistics before 2021, which shows Daum and Kakao separately, will be consolidated and displayed as "Kakao" starting on the first half of 2021.

  • Kakao shall process a request from the Government, judicial authorities, and private institutions only through proper procedures.

  • Statistics prior to 2021 are available in the previous data.