Younger Koreans now have the right to be forgotten

Young people now have the ability to erase digital records made when they were minors, the Personal Information Protection Commission said Monday.

People dress up as cartoon and game characters at the 2022 Seoul Pop Culture Convention held at COEX in southern Seoul on Aug. 25, 2022. [YONHAP]

Young people now have the ability to erase digital records made when they were minors, the Personal Information Protection Commission said Monday.

They can remove private information, such as names, addresses, ages and photos from internet searches and social media posts.

People who started using smartphones at a young age will now be able to delete any shameful posts they uploaded as kids.

A 23-year-old university student who participated in the Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival in high school by dressing up as a game character is one of those who could benefit from the government’s new service.

“I thought it was fun at the time, but now I am afraid my boyfriend will see the photo,” she said.

She wishes to delete photos she posted on an online community, but it has been years since she closed the account she used to upload the photos.

The government’s new project will help those under the age of 24 who have forgotten their passwords or who canceled their accounts to remove their digital records easily. Posts uploaded when they were younger than 18 will be eligible for the service.

Young people and children can apply for the service through the commission’s personal information portal (privacy.go.kr), and submit a link and information to prove that the post is theirs.

The government will request restrictions on the post to the website operator and ask that it be deleted or hidden. Moderators will be available to allow children to request deletion more easily.

Only posts uploaded by the individuals themselves can be requested for removal, but the government plans to gradually expand the program to posts uploaded by other people, including illegal filming.

“We expect children to be able to exercise the basic right to control personal information through the service,” said Lee Jeong-ryeol, secretary general at the Personal Information Protection Commission.

BY MOON HEE-CHUL, CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]