As a outcome, folks have flocked to these platforms as a result of they imagine they will cover, Chong mentioned.
“Most of the victims of defamation who’ve come to me for recommendation have due to YouTube,” he mentioned in an interview, including that the platform was a “blind spot” for the authorities searching for to uproot customers who defame stars whereas benefiting from their movies.
Chong obtained details about an nameless YouTube account that Starship Entertainment had accused of defamation, insult and enterprise obstruction. In one instance, the YouTuber appeared to make use of South Koreans’ detrimental perceptions of China to unfold a rumor that Jang Won-young, a South Korean member of IVE, was Chinese, Chong mentioned. Using that info, Chong gained a civil go well with towards the YouTuber in South Korea.
The YouTuber, a girl who was not named by the South Korean authorities, argued that the claims had been truthful and made within the public curiosity, Chong mentioned. But the girl was ordered to pay Jang, one among her essential targets, damages of 100 million South Korean gained, about $74,000, in a civil case. The YouTuber appealed, Chong mentioned.
“The defamation and insulting resulted in psychological misery,” he mentioned.
In the NewJeans case, the members of the band filed a legal grievance towards the YouTuber with a police station in Seoul. But the case couldn’t go ahead as a result of the YouTube account was nameless, in response to the submitting.
Eugene Kim, the lawyer for NewJeans, wrote that he had requested Google, which operates YouTube, for details about the YouTube account. After he was unsuccessful, he filed the movement with the court docket in California below a federal statute that enables folks to acquire paperwork wanted in a international continuing.
Seamus Hughes contributed analysis.