South Korean platform giant Naver Corp.’s online news portal service is under scrutiny for its alleged bias towards certain media outlets.

According to the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) on Monday, the media regulator is launching an investigation into Naver News, which will include on-site inspections, to verify the online news portal’s alleged telecommunications law violation.

The regulator conducted an inspection of Naver News in early July 2023, resulting in the decision to launch an investigation following suspicions regarding the online news portal’s unlawful practices against certain users or media outlets. These suspicions include unfair discrimination, imposition of unreasonable conditions or unfair restrictions against specific media outlets, as well as failure to disclose important information to them.

“Reviews of data obtained from Naver upon request have led us to conclude that there have been alleged violations in their operations,” a KCC official said, adding that the authority will act in accordance with relevant laws if violations are confirmed during their investigation.

Naver is the nation’s largest search portal operator and holds a dominant position in the media landscape, with a news market share of 66.7 percent. The KCC is concerned about the persistent issues regarding the portal giant’s social responsibility and fairness, particularly in their algorithm for determining what to display to readers and users.

“The news algorithm has been identified as one of the primary reasons for media bias, as it is directly related to the exposure of certain media outlets or specific articles, leading to criticism of discrimination against certain media and distortion of public opinion,” the regulator said.

The KCC also stated that it will take strict actions if the investigation confirms the alleged violations, including imposing maximum fines and initiating criminal proceedings in accordance with relevant laws.

By Lee Sang-duk and Chang Iou-chung

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]