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By Lee Min-hyung
Calls are mounting for stricter legal regulations to combat the rise of fake social media accounts impersonating celebrities, athletes, and business leaders. This trend has sparked concerns about the potential harm it could cause, including fraudulent demands for personal information or money.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency reportedly launched an investigation into multiple social media accounts impersonating Sung Kim, an adviser to Hyundai Motor Group, after receiving reports. Kim, a former U.S. ambassador to Korea, is slated to take office next year as the president in charge of strategic planning for Hyundai Motor Group.
More than 14 Facebook accounts impersonating Kim, using his personal photos and profile, have been identified. Some of these accounts even falsely claimed to be official by stating “official account” in their self-introduction.
The same report has reportedly been filed with investigative agencies in the United States, where Facebook is headquartered, due to concerns about the potential for significant harm if the activities of the impersonating accounts remain unaddressed.
One fake account impersonating Kim reportedly tried to extract personal information by sending a message to a Hyundai Motor Company official, but the attempt was unsuccessful.
According to an online impersonation post detection company, some 79 percent of celebrity impersonation posts are concentrated on social media.
A social media account that effectively impersonated Lee Jae-yong, the executive chairman of Samsung Electronics, is a typical example. According to local news reports, although it was labeled as a fan page, most of the posts contained content that could make one mistake it for being directly posted by Lee himself.
Social media users mistakenly believed this to be the chairman’s official account, leaving comments and sending messages. At its peak, the fake account amassed around 450,000 followers. However, it disappeared abruptly as the controversy gained traction and drew public attention.
Moreover, as the impact of social media has grown, there are increasing calls to punish the act of creating fake accounts itself.
An amendment was proposed to the National Assembly last June to the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network, which stipulates that if you create a fake account impersonating someone else online, you will be sentenced to imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million won. It is currently under discussion in the relevant standing committee.
Major countries such as the U.S. and Canada already have legal provisions in place that allow for punishment even when someone impersonates someone else online for purposes such as deception or personal gain.
Some argue that there is a need to obligate service providers and social media operators to immediately suspend or delete any impersonating accounts as soon as they discover or receive reports of such accounts.
“Impersonation online is a serious infringement on the victim's personal rights, and it can also lead to associated crimes such as phishing, causing significant social damage,” a legal expert said.
“It is essential to promptly amend the relevant laws to prohibit the creation of impersonating accounts online and to strengthen the penalties for crimes using such accounts."
English (United States) ·