Bill On Phone Recording Ban Sparks Row In S Korea
SEOUL: A proposed bill that bans the recording of phone calls and conversations without consent has prompted a debate on the boundary of privacy in a country where recorded clips of conversations often make headlines in whistleblowing cases and political spats.
A group of ruling People Power Party lawmakers, led by Rep Yoon Sang-hyun, proposed the bill in late August that bans phone recordings and conversations without the consent of everyone taking part.
Those who breach the law can face up to 10 years in prison, according to the proposal, reports Yonhap news agency. The ruling party lawmakers claimed that the current law, which allows recordings by a person taking part in the conversation, carries the risk of compromising privacy and breaching one's dignity and right to pursue happiness as written in the Constitution. In a policy discussion session at the National Assembly, Yoon also claimed that banning the recordings will prevent the country's politics from getting mired in unnecessary squabbles that erupted from phone recordings. The proposal, however, has faced strong backlash from opponents claiming that the bill will strip the minority and underdogs of a means to protect themselves in unfair situations, noting how recordings of conversations are often used as effective evidence in court.
Recorded clips of conversations have often made headlines in cases where housekeepers or drivers of the rich and powerful revealed their bosses' verbal abuse to the press. (IANS)
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