South Korean minister says Google must take legal responsibility if data leak violated law

The victims' information was found to have been exposed late last month and was taken down only after the government demanded its removal, according to Yonhap News Agency. The information included the names and contact details of victims who had requested Google to remove illegally filmed videos.

"A platform with significant influence globally, like Google, has an even heavier responsibility to protect and safely deal with sensitive information of victims," Won said during a press briefing. "If any legal violations are found, Google must take legal responsibility." She added that the issue should not be passed over lightly as a simple system error or mistake, and that Google must take the gravity of the issue seriously and take a responsible stance in front of the victims and the public.

Won said her ministry is working with the Korea Media and Communications Commission to check for any legal violations, including those under the sexual violence punishment law. The ministry is also looking into whether similar incidents could happen on other online platforms.

Google has apologized over the leak, saying it asked the operator to delete the information as soon as it was brought to its attention. The tech giant has blamed technical errors for the incident, according to the ministry.

Won said the government will check whether Google takes proper follow-up prevention measures. She noted that the company has pledged not to share any deletion requests from South Korea with outside parties.

The Personal Information Protection Commission said it has launched an investigation into the leak.