Rep. Jim Jordan raises alarms over new South Korean fake news law

House Judiciary Committee Republicans despatched a letter to the South Korea‘s Media and Communications Fee on Thursday expressing their concern over just lately adopted on-line laws they are saying may enable the federal government to censor free speech and assault opposing viewpoints.

The letter, reported first by CNBC, requires a briefing from South Korean officers on their plans to implement an modification to the nation’s existing data privacy law, which took impact in July and has been dubbed the “pretend information” regulation. It permits the federal government to challenge fines to media shops and content material publishers with greater than 100,000 subscribers in the event that they deliberately unfold false data.

“This modification serves as a significant menace to on-line speech and expression and would enable the KMCC to punish American firms and their customers for exercising their constitutionally protected rights,” the lawmakers, together with Home Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, wrote.

Reps. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and Michael Baumgartner, R-Wash., additionally signed the letter.

The South Korean Embassy in Washington didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon Thursday.

The modification, which was adopted by the Korean National Assembly as a part of the nation’s Data and Communications Community Act in December, goals to “defend residents from the harms of unlawful and fabricated false data,” in keeping with a July assertion from the chairman of the KMCC. 

Publishers who’re discovered to have violated the regulation may face a penalty of as much as 1 billion gained, or greater than $700,000.

However, in keeping with Jordan and his Judiciary colleagues, the regulation doesn’t clearly outline “false data” and might be utilized by the federal government to focus on “politically disfavored opinions.” It is also confronted opposition from journalists and civil liberties groups in South Korea.

“No overseas authorities ought to have the facility to strain American firms into censoring constitutionally protected speech,” Fitzgerald mentioned in an announcement. “South Korea’s so-called ‘false data’ regulation is imprecise, expansive, and ripe for abuse. Congress will proceed inspecting efforts by overseas governments to export censorship and undermine People’ First Modification freedoms on-line.”

The lawmakers additionally mentioned the modification “is particularly geared toward American firms,” together with YouTube, owned by Google’s dad or mum firm, Alphabet. The implementation of the modification and the Home Judiciary letter come amid heightened financial tensions between the 2 key buying and selling companions.

South Korea was one in every of dozens of nations on which President Donald Trump imposed new tariffs final week over alleged pressured labor practices. And the Home Judiciary Committee in July released a report alleging discrimination by the South Korean authorities towards Coupang, a U.S.-based on-line retailer that does the majority of its enterprise in Asia.

The committee beneath Jordan’s management has devoted important time to the specter of overseas regulation on censoring free speech and stifling U.S. innovation. The committee has launched multiple reports on the European Union’s Digital Companies Act, a complete authorized framework adopted in 2022 that units strict guidelines for on-line content material. That regulation has resulted in fresh scrutiny for U.S. companies like Google and Anthropic.

In keeping with the letter, the South Korean modification is straight associated to the Digital Companies Act.

“South Korea appears to be following within the EU’s footsteps, adopting laws modeled straight on the DSA,” the lawmakers wrote.