The South Korean Constitutional Court has ruled out identification verification on Internet messages boards, claiming that it violates freedom of expression.
Article 44 of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Data Protection is aimed at deterring malicious messages from anonymous users that have led to suicides of public figures. Critics said the requirement stated in Clause 5 inhibits freedom of expression. The court dashed the clause Thursday saying that “there was no meaningful decline in the number of illegal postings.”
Message board users will still be required to verify their identities by using their real names during the election period, which is stated under the current election law. The Constitutional Court also ruled out election campaigning through social networking sites last December.
