Republic of Korea: Issued KCC order addressed to 18 online video and music services to correct subscription policy

On 30 November 2023, the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) issued an order addressed to 18 online video (OTT) and music services to correct their subscription policy. The platforms required to correct their policies include Apple Music, Bugs, Coupang Play, Disney Plus, Flo, Genie, Genie TV Mobile (sound source), Kakao Music, Melon, Mobile BTV, Naver Vibe, Netflix, Spotify, TVING, U+Mobile, Watcha, Wave, and YouTube Music. The measures include simplifying the cancellation process, preventing excessive new subscriptions and improving information on subscription status to avoid double payments. For the 18 commonly used services, the KCC wants to ensure that cancelling is less burdensome than subscribing, that subscription and cancellation buttons are more visible, and that information on existing subscriptions is improved. Furthermore, KCC emphasises the importance of active measures to avoid inconvenience and commits to ongoing inspections in critical areas of digital services to continuously improve user-friendliness and ensure compliance with consumer protection regulations.