KaKao

- Enhanced the media advisory function to implement digital responsibility, such as strengthening transparency in technology

- Reinforced advisors in algorithm transparency by newly appointing Professors Lim Jeongsub and Han Jiyoung, experts in media and technology

- Committee to launch activities after its first meeting in early April… Activity details will be disclosed via Brunch

 

[April 12, 2023] Kakao (CEO, Hong Euntaek) announced on April 12 that it had expanded and restructured its media service advisory body into the News Transparency Committee. More experts from related areas were appointed to further strengthen the media advisory function at a time when platform companies are required to implement digital responsibility.

 

Kakao launched its Media Advisory Committee in 2016 to operate credible media services and protect users’ rights and interests. The restructured News Transparency Committee will focus on new services and aims at providing users with responsible media services by improving transparency on technology and policies.

 

Two algorithm experts, Professor Lim Jeongsub (Sogang University’s College of Media, Arts and Science) and Professor Han Jiyoung (KAIST’s Moon Soul Graduate School of Future Strategy), joined the News Transparency Committee. The new committee members are both experts in media and technology and will provide in-depth advice on how to reinforce transparency in the algorithm.

 

The two new members will join the Chairperson of the News Transparency Committee Professor Park Jae-yung (Korea University’s School of Media & Communications), and Professors Kim Kyung-hee (Hallym University’s Media School), Kim Min-jeong (Hankuk University of Foreign Studies’s School of Media and Communications), Kim Jang-hyun (Sungkyunkwan University’s Department of Interaction Science), Do Joon-ho (Sookmyung Women’s University’s School of Communication & Media), Lee Joon-woong (Seoul National University’s Department of Communication) and Choi Ji-hyang (Ewha Woman’s University’s Department of Communication & Media), making it a nine-member committee.

 

The News Transparency Committee launched its activities after holding its first meeting in early April. The agenda of the first meeting was to find ways to display more diverse news articles to users. The committee will transparently disclose meeting minutes and details about its activities in the ‘Kakao Policy and Research Brunch Story.’

 

Lim Kwang-wook, head of Kakao’s Media Business, said Kakao will “fulfill our digital responsibilities by strengthening the transparency of Kakao’s new service through active communication and cooperation with the News Transparency Committee about various policies, services and major changes in the algorithm.”

 

Last year, as a response to social demands for algorithm transparency, Kakao disclosed its News tab placement history, enacted the Algorithm Ethics Charter, and provides information on its news algorithm. Kakao also became the first company in the industry to collaborate with media experts to publish the ‘Daum News Placement Manual’ and made efforts to easily explain the news display algorithm.

 

In July 2022, Kakao became the first South Korean company to create a KakaoGroup Tech Ethics Committee (Tech for Good Committee). The Tech Ethics Committee monitors whether KakaoGroup services abide by AI ethics regulations and checks for risks and leads efforts to reform policies to enhance algorithm transparency. [End]