Fandom signature drives that had used free tools such as Google Forms and online petition sites have evolved a step further into paid services for corporations. Rather than stopping at collecting names and contact information, it appears to be a way to systematically draft and manage documents containing a large number of signatures by using methods that can raise credibility.
According to the entertainment and startup industries on the 30th, the fandom of the group NewJeans, "Bunnies," recruited participants through the e-signature service Modusign while gathering petitions calling for a thorough investigation into allegations of Hanni's personal information leak. Bunnies shared a L.I.N.C to Modusign on X (formerly Twitter) and encouraged fans to review the petition and take part with an electronic signature. The expense required to use the e-signature service was reportedly raised through donations.
The reason Bunnies spent an expense to collect petitions is the allegation that NewJeans member Hanni's visa-related personal information was leaked externally. The Yongsan Police Station in Seoul is currently investigating allegations that ADOR and affiliated executives and employees leaked to outside parties the type and expiration date of Hanni's entertainment performance (E-6) visa and information related to visa extensions, which they learned in the course of their duties.
Because the materials will be submitted to investigative authorities, Bunnies chose a method that could go beyond gathering participants to raise the reliability and evidentiary power of the signatures. Modusign records the progress, including the time the signer reviewed the document and completed the signature, and the IP address. When the signing process is completed, an audit trail certificate containing the related history is generated, which can be used as evidence if the authenticity of the signature or whether the document was forged or altered becomes an issue.
Founded in 2015, Modusign describes itself on its website as an "e-signature and e-contract service with security and legal effect." It is known to hold around a 70% share of the domestic e-contract market. It is evolving into a platform that provides the services needed for contracts, from drafting and execution to management, not only e-signatures. Although it has posted losses for the past three years, revenue rose from 5.9 billion won in 2023 to 9.3 billion won last year.
Google Forms, which has been used for collecting signatures or petitions, can also record respondent information such as account logins or emails depending on the settings. However, compared with e-signature services that record and manage the entire process from viewing a specific document to completing the signature, there are differences in the functions that prove the signer's intent to participate and the identity of the document being signed.
Bunnies is said to have used the Modusign service to collect petitions from around 5,000 people. Before using the service, they reportedly checked whether overseas residents and foreigners could participate. This appears to reflect that many NewJeans fans live abroad and that Hanni is a foreign national.
The entertainment and startup industries say it is unusual for a fandom to use a paid e-signature service. Multiple officials said, "E-signature services are mainly used by corporations to raise credibility and ease of management," and added, "It is rare for an idol fandom to use them for petition drives while even covering the expense." They continued, "It also shows that fandom activities are becoming organized and professionalized beyond online participation."