[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Naver and Kakao have decided not to provide the account information of Jeju Air crash victims to their families.
According to the ICT industry on Monday, both companies concluded that, due to their privacy policies and technical constraints, they cannot share victims' account information and passwords with their families.
Earlier, families of the Jeju Air crash victims requested access to contact details and other data left in apps such as KakaoTalk. The request was submitted to the Ministry of Science and ICT, which had been discussing the feasibility of such disclosures with service providers like Kakao.
Naver explained that account passwords are encrypted in a way that makes decryption impossible, even at the company level.
Kakao stated that, under its privacy policy, it cannot provide information from the accounts of deceased users, including chat history. However, the company offers a "memorial profile" service for direct family members who apply.
Naver emphasized that account information is considered "non-transferable personal data" and cannot be disclosed to the bereaved, even upon request.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
