It was confirmed on the 10th that the Fair Trade Commission conducted an on-site investigation at Coupang's headquarters to determine whether Coupang's membership withdrawal procedure and disclaimer clauses violated relevant laws and regulations.
According to the industry, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) on this day sent a Researcher to Coupang's headquarters in Songpa-gu, Seoul, and began collecting materials focusing on the design of the membership cancellation process and how the terms of service are applied. The Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is looking into whether Coupang effectively hindered consumer choice by making the cancellation procedure excessively complicated.
During the membership withdrawal process, Coupang has required several steps, including re-entering the password, answering multiple surveys, and navigating multi-level screen transitions, and at the final stage has used a method that emphasizes the "keep" button more than "cancel." The Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is under investigation whether this method constitutes a dark pattern (deceptive tactic) that distorts consumers' decision-making.
The legality of the terms and conditions is also at issue. Coupang's terms of service include a disclaimer stating, "The company is not responsible for damages caused by a third party's unlawful access," and the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is reportedly reviewing whether the clause could be invalid under the Act on the Regulation of Terms and Conditions.
An official at the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said, "We cannot confirm specific details of an ongoing case."