Six in ten KakaoTalk users say they are uncomfortable with the advertising message service introduced last year, according to a new survey.
The Seoul YMCA Citizen Mediation Center's recent survey on "User Perception of Kakao Brand Messages" found that 59.2% of respondents said they felt "uncomfortable" with the service. Only 19.4% said they did not experience discomfort, indicating strong user resistance to Kakao's current advertising messages.
Kakao has attempted to revise its terms of service to collect user data and usage patterns for targeted advertising, while also updating friend lists and expanding short-form content.
Only 11.8% of KakaoTalk users said they remember whether they consented to receive advertising messages, while 45.7% said they do not remember. Users expressed frustration that advertising messages are being sent indiscriminately through KakaoTalk when they cannot recall whether they previously gave consent.
When asked about the need for regulation on advertising message transmission, 62.1% of users said government regulation is necessary. Regarding the need for a function to reject unwanted KakaoTalk advertising messages, 69.9% of users said "a bulk opt-out function is needed." Additionally, 64.3% of users said it is unfair that receiving KakaoTalk messages results in data deductions or costs.
"We plan to continue demanding measures from the government and National Assembly until strict regulations are established to address user inconvenience and protect personal information and user interests," the Seoul YMCA said.