The Fair Trade Commission has launched a probe into whether Coupang's complicated account deletion process, which has drawn controversy after a member information leak, violates the law. The Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said it will first demand corrective action so Coupang swiftly improves the process in light of consumer anxiety, and later decide on penalties based on a legal determination.
According to the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) on the 8th, Coupang has been criticized for a "dark pattern" because the withdrawal process requires multiple steps, including verifying personal information, entering a password, clicking the delete button, and re-entering the password. The Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is examining whether these steps violate the Electronic Commerce Act and has asked Coupang to prepare and submit an improvement plan.
However, because determining a legal violation and imposing sanctions could take months, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is separately pressing Coupang to change its account deletion method early on its own.
The Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is also reviewing Coupang's terms of service at the center of the controversy. Coupang added a clause last year stating it "does not bear responsibility for damages arising from unlawful third-party access to servers," drawing criticism after the personal information leak. It later specified that "the company bears responsibility in cases of intent or gross negligence," but the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is examining whether this may violate the Terms and Conditions Act.