The controversy is growing over the leaking of a document containing the personal information of 125 entertainment personalities. This case is shocking in that it reveals how insensitive our society is about civil rights. It is disappointing that internet culture has not improved at all, even after the "Miss O Video" and "Miss B Video" episodes a few years ago.
An advertising company seeking to collect and maintain information on the private lives of various entertainment figures never even informed the people involved, so naturally never once sought their agreement. An individual's right to decide his personal information, the right to privacy, and freedom in one's personal life are constitutional rights, and yet there was no awareness of that whatsoever. The document contains information about stars' private lives, unconfirmed rumors, and even content that is personally insulting. The employees of the marketing research company that drafted the document showed their friends, telling them it was a "fun read," and from there the situation spun out of control. Nowhere do you see they had any sense of awareness about civil rights, or even about libel or character rights. The situation needs to be a wake up call for our society, that it might gain an awareness about civil rights and particularly rights as they pertain to information.
The document is spreading rapidly though the internet. There are Netizens posting it here and there telling people to take a look just for fun. That behavior is largely the fault of internet media that can't contain themselves when it comes to gossip pieces about entertainment stars, and so skillfully incite the curiosity of their readers with stars' names in big headlines. We will not be a country with an advanced culture when we have the highest connectivity in the world but are so vulgar in our use of it since many hide behind the anonymity to infringe of others' character rights. This latest episode is a new reminder of how desperately we need to cultivate human nature on the internet and improve the culture of the internet.
The people responsible for drafting and maintaining the document must be held strictly responsible. The journalists who used information they collected in the course of covering stories for a purpose other than news stories must also acknowledge their responsibility. As a result of this episode there needs to be legislation enacted that protects personal information, and, if necessary an independent supervisory body. Most importantly there urgently needs to be social principles and standards for protecting personal information.
The Hankyoreh, 21 January 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
[Editorial] Invading Privacy for Fun |
