"Anxious" Citizens Flood Privacy Service: Wait Times Reach 39 Hours

'39 hours, 14 minutes, and 20 seconds.'

This was the estimated waiting time that popped up when accessing a service on the Personal Information Portal that helps users withdraw from unnecessary websites around 10 p.m. on June 14.

With a series of recent personal information leaks, users are flocking to government services that help them check their mobile phone identity verification history and withdraw from unnecessary websites.

According to the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) on Wednesday (June 17), the number of applications for the "Website Membership Withdrawal Support Service" on the Personal Information Portal reached 80,321 as of 4:40 p.m. on June 15.

This is a threefold surge compared to the 26,851 applications received on June 11 alone.

Although the service is designed to help users withdraw from websites where identity theft is suspected or that are no longer in use, a sudden influx of users has recently caused frequent, near-total service disruptions.

On the afternoon of June 14, the number of simultaneous users waiting in line exceeded 14,000.

The cumulative number of service uses over the five days since June 11 reached 247,381.

Even when attempting to connect around 10 a.m. on June 16, the screen showed about 5,000 people waiting, with an estimated wait time of approximately 14 hours.

A PIPC official explained the recent surge in users, saying, "We see this as a result of growing awareness of the importance of personal information, as well as increased interest in preventing data leaks and exercising the rights of data subjects."

Behind the sharp rise in service applications are recurring personal data leak incidents.

Citizens' vigilance has heightened as recent personal data leaks have spread across all sectors, affecting not only private companies like Coupang and TVING but also public services such as Government24 and Seoul's public bike-sharing system, Ttareungyi.

The number of reported personal data leaks last year stood at 447, a 45.6% increase from 307 cases in 2024.

In particular, data leaks caused by hacking surged by more than 100 cases, rising from 171 in the previous year to 276.

Public anxiety is also on the rise.

According to the 2024 Social Survey by the National Data Agency's Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS), 57.6% of respondents answered that they feel "not safe" regarding personal data leaks.

This means nearly six out of ten citizens feel anxious about their personal information being leaked.

Instead of relying solely on the Personal Information Portal, there is also a growing movement to share tips on preventing data leaks via social media.

Various methods are being introduced, such as "checking for leaked passwords in the iPhone Passwords app," "checking and disconnecting linked Naver and Kakao accounts," and "using services to find my leaked information on the dark web."

In online communities, users are reacting with a mix of humor and sadness, asking, "Do we now have to delete our personal information like we're trying to book concert tickets?" Others expressed fatigue, saying, "There are too many things we have to take care of ourselves, and even then, it's hard to fully trust them."

Some are also questioning how effective these individual efforts actually are.

"With trust in personal data security shattered by multiple leak incidents, I wonder if these methods can really prevent anything," said Lee (24), a graduate student. "Sometimes I feel helpless, wondering what the point is of withdrawing from websites so late."

While experts view the shift in awareness regarding personal information protection positively, they point out that companies and the government must also strengthen their responsibilities.

Kim Young-gab, a professor of information security at Sejong University, evaluated it as a positive trend, saying, "It is a good phenomenon as users are exercising their rights over their own information."

However, he pointed out, "It also means that personal information is being leaked quite vulnerably. It seems that companies' awareness of security is lower than that of the general public."

Professor Kim added, "To ensure that domestic personal data leak incidents do not just end up as temporary news topics, urgent efforts are needed to strengthen accountability at both corporate and government levels through legislative amendments."

(Photo: Captured from X, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.