The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) of South Korea, in collaboration with the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), has inaugurated the fourth edition of its student monitoring group dedicated to combating the illegal dissemination of personal data online.
This group, composed of 50 students and doctoral candidates from 33 universities, will conduct its activities from July to December 2026. Their mission is to continuously monitor publications illegally disseminating personal information and to analyze privacy violation factors on major digital platforms. For the first time, a mentoring system is implemented, where former participants share their practical experience. The students will not be limited to passive monitoring; they will actively assess the compliance of services frequently used by young people, such as social networks and second-hand sales platforms, in order to diagnose vulnerabilities and propose improvements.
The program also aims to train participants to become future data protection experts, through lectures and visits to specialized organizations. The chairperson of the PIPC emphasized the importance of the direct involvement of young people, key actors of the digital era, in the protection of personal information, hoping that this initiative will contribute to their professional development. The five most deserving participants will be rewarded at the end of the program.