It seems that Kakao has decided to adhere to giant agencies' and organizations' decisions to act up against malicious comments online. On Friday, October 25, Daum, one of Naver's biggest portals, announced that they will terminate the comments in the entertainment news sections.
In a press conference, Kakao CEOs Yeo Min Soo and Jo Soo Yong announced this news, which is timely given the intensified talks about hateful comments on social media against celebrities and non-celebrities and also given the unfortunate passing of the actress and f(x) alumna Sulli.
The late star reportedly struggled with depression, fueled by the constant hate she received online ever since she was just allegedly starting out in the business. Following her demise, talks about mental health and hate speech came into light and urged companies to increase their acts in dealing with such.
"The launch of the comments section service was aimed at creating a healthy public forum for people to discuss things, but now we cannot help but acknowledge the side effects that were created with it," Yeo Min Soo stated, adding that they failed to foresee the unpleasant effects of the comments section.
He added that they initially put up the comments section for its convenience in locating information easier.
" We have judged that the side effects such as the invasion of privacy and defamation are very serious," he went on.
"The launch of the comments section service was aimed at creating a healthy public forum for people to discuss things, but now we cannot help but acknowledge the side effects that were created with it," he admitted.
The co-CEO confessed their realization that the awful remarks online reached the extent that they can ruin the receiving end of this type of abuse.
"As we could see from recent events, many people say that the level of insults and abuse directed towards the characters of the celebrities involved in entertainment news has reached a point of damaging the health of the public sphere," he stated.
According to the site, they plan to regulated stronger acts against malicious and abusive comments. Moreover, they vow to improve their site's search bar as well as the auto-recommendation of the terms being searched. This is their way to heighten the security towards one's personal rights.
"After a long discussion, we have decided to create a subscription-based content service that can only be Kakao. We have begun preparing for a new platform accordingly," Yeo Min Soo said.
"There may be risks in terms of business, but I believe this decision is the beginning of a way to fulfill social responsibility and create a healthier society," he concluded.
