SK Communications, which runs portal site Nate.com, said on Wednesday it would allow users to reveal their verified names on PCs and mobile devices if they so chose.
The policy aims to give more options to users who want to leave a digital trace when commenting on news articles. At the same time, users will be expected to exercise restraint when commenting at the portal, according to the company.
Under the current privacy-centered system, user comments on news articles come with partially blocked IDs. With the revised policy, users will be able to choose between their real name or an anonymous ID.
“Data shows that 54.4 percent of Internet users confront harsh online comments, suggesting severe cyber violence,” said an official of SK Communications.
SK Communications said the policy change did not mean it was returning to the era of the real-name verification system that had required all online users to identify themselves.
In August last year, the Constitutional Court ruled the online real-name system unconstitutional and repealed the related law.
By Im Woo-jung, Intern reporter
(
iwj@heraldcorp.com)
