64% of reports of AI chatbot harmful content are ‘under review’… Controversy over neglect for up to 494 days

76 out of 119 cases were not processed… 43 cases exceeded 180 days after submission

Kim Seon-min: “We need to establish a processing deadline from the receipt of the report to the deliberation decision.”

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Hyunmin Yoo = More than 6 out of 10 complaints related to artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots that reported sexual exploitation of children and adolescents and obscene and lascivious content were found to be in the review stage at the Korea Communications Standards Commission.

According to data submitted by the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee member Kim Seon-min of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party on the 8th from the US Visit Review Committee, as of the 21st of last month, 76 out of 119 complaints (63.9%) related to AI chatbot sites were 'under review by the secretariat.' There were 40 cases rejected, and 3 cases completed deliberation.

Of the 76 cases under review, 43 cases (56.6%) were filed more than 180 days ago, and there were 7 cases that were more than a year old.

The oldest complaint was about Baby Chat, filed on May 15, 2025, and was still under review 494 days later.

By type of report, obscene and lascivious content accounted for the most with 32 cases, followed by 23 cases of suspected sexual objectification and sexual exploitation of child and adolescent characters, and 22 cases of insufficient age verification and youth protection. By site, there were 30 cases of Baby Chat, 18 cases of Bori Chat, and 17 cases of Zeta.

The current 'deliberation regulations on information and communication' stipulates that applicants, etc. be notified of the results within 10 days after the deliberation decision, but there is no separate processing deadline from receipt of civil complaint to review by the secretariat and deliberation decision.

The U.S. Visit Committee explained that the lack of manpower, such as only one employee in charge of complaints about harmful content for youth, was also the cause of the delay in processing.

Representative Kim said, “We cannot leave the protection of youth to the self-regulation of business operators while reports of concern about the protection of children and youth remain in the review stage for over a year,” and added, “The US Visit Committee must establish processing deadlines and extension standards from the receipt of reports to deliberation decisions, and clearly provide information on the reasons for delay and expected processing dates for long-term unprocessed complaints.”