Operation Policy

Content Related Illegal or Restricted Products and Services

Illegal and restricted products and services, etc.

Via KakaoTalk, users are not allowed to sell or provide goods and services prohibited by law, restricted from selling online, infringing on another's intellectual properties, or violating good morals or other social order.

If Kakao confirms the sale of illegal products or the provision of illegal services through user reports or requests from external organizations, it may restrict the user's access to specific KakaoTalk services. In cases involving clearly illegal activities, or when deemed necessary to protect other users, Kakao may immediately and permanently suspend the user from accessing all KakaoTalk services. In addition, if any information related to illegal or regulated goods or services is identified in service areas accessible to all KakaoTalk users, Kakao may take a series of applicable measures to prevent further distribution, such as restricting visibility in search results or content exposure, and restricting access to chatrooms.

Selling or arranging to sell the following products are strictly prohibited under the current laws and regulations. It is not allowed to utilize KakaoTalk to sell or arrange sales of the following products directly or to promote, advertise, consult or transact to encourage the access or installment of external sites or apps that sell the relevant products (including a free offer).

  • Drugs (illicit drugs (ex. poppy, opium, and Coca leaves, etc.), psychotropic drugs, marijuana)
  • Blood/Certificate of blood donation
  • Military uniforms and military equipment, pseudo-uniforms
  • Police uniforms and police equipment, pseudo-police uniforms and pseudo-police equipment
  • Illegally captured or imported wild animals and processed foods made thereof
  • Tools to capture wildlife (ex. Traps, gins, snares, etc.)
  • Endangered wild plants and animals, and taxidermy
  • Pornography
  • Illegal medicines
  • Goods that the seller does not have proper ownership of, such as stolen goods or founds
  • Illicit replica mobile phone, or fake mobile phone, activated USIMs or USIMs registered under another person’s name
  • Gift certificates that cannot be transferred or sold (ex. rail ticket, registered ticket, and winning ticket or admission ticket for an international event, etc.)
  • Media content that has not been reviewed (ex. game content, video content, etc.)
  • Foods, health supplements, medical devices, and cosmetics that have not been approved or reported by relevant authorities
  • Household goods and electrical supplies without safety certification and broadcasting equipment with suitability untested
  • Products using illegal measuring units
  • Game-hacking programs (ex, nuclear, bot, Automouse, etc.)
  • Malware programs
  • Products for which cornering and hoarding are prohibited by the PRICE STABILIZATION ACT (provided, however, that it shall be applicable only within the prohibition period.)
  • All other products that have not been approved, reviewed, or authorized by relevant authorities

If any service provides a paid activity that is prohibited and has not been licensed, authorized, registered, or reported pursuant to relevant laws and regulations, it shall be deemed as an illegal service. It is not allowed to utilize KakaoTalk to sell or arrange the following services directly or to promote, advertise, or consult for the purpose of encouraging the access or installment of external sites or apps that provide the relevant services.

  • Illegal loan and loan brokerage service (if by a credit business or loan broker not registered under the LOAN BUSINESS ACT)
  • Illegal multilevel service (if by a multilevel marketing business not registered under the DOOR TO DOOR SALES ACT)
  • Illegal real estate agency service (if not by a licensed agent office registered under the REAL ESTATE AGENT ACT)
  • Illegal legal advisory service (if not by a lawyer)
  • Illegal services and relevant training services such as tattoos, semi-permanent make-up, piercings, therapeutic hypnosis, and hypnotherapy (if not by a medical clinic according to the MEDICAL LAW)
  • Illegal rubdown, massage, acupressure services (if not by an official massager authorized under the MEDICAL LAW)
  • Illegal detective agencies and messenger offices (for tapping, spycam, secret investigation, location tracking, etc.)
  • Illegal hacking service
  • Illegal circulation of funds and exchange services (ex. Cash-back transactions via credit card, mobile phone, or local gift certificate, etc.)
  • Proxy game services
  • Falsification, modification, and preparation services for public and private documents
  • Name/title lending or referral service for a car rental operator to rent cars for business
  • Billing service issuing false tax invoice and bill
  • Illegal marketing services that violate the Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising (e.g., fake reviews, ranking manipulation)
  • Services that violate bioethics, such as organ trafficking, surrogacy, sperm or egg trading, and illegal or disguised adoption
  • Illegal foreign exchange trading or brokerage services in violation of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act
  • Other illegal services in violation of relevant laws and regulations

It is not allowed to utilize KakaoTalk to directly sell or arrange sales of products that infringe another’s intellectual property rights (including trademark rights or copyrights) or to promote, advertise, consult or transact to encourage the access or installment of external sites or apps that sell the relevant products (including a free offer).

Chatrooms, profiles, or content intended for the consultation or sale of the following products may be restricted from appearing in search results. If a rights infringement notice is filed by the intellectual property holder, or a request is received from a relevant authority, Kakao may take a series of applicable actions such as restricting content exposure, limiting access to chatrooms, or restricting access to part or all of KakaoTalk services.

  • Media content such as illegally copied software/program, alums/sound sources, video materials, game materials, books, etc.
  • Software, programs, etc. that incapacitate technical protection measures
  • Counterfeit goods (fake goods, imitations, etc.)
  • Any product that infringes other trademark rights or intellectual property rights

The following products are banned from selling online and thereby are not allowed for sales or transactions via KakaoTalk (including free offers). The ordering, payment, providing, and receiving of any such product shall be processed in person.

Chatrooms, profiles, or content intended for the consultation or sale of the following products may be restricted from appearing in search results. If it is confirmed, through user reports or other methods, that these products were sold or offered remotely via KakaoTalk, Kakao may take a series of applicable actions such as restricting content exposure, limiting access to chatrooms, or restricting access to part or all of KakaoTalk services.

  • Medicines (only available to pharmacy owners, not to be sold outside pharmacies or stores)
  • Alcoholic beverages or traditional liquor (only for mail-order by authorized mail order traders)
  • E-cigarettes containing cigarettes and nicotine (not for mail-order and e-commerce)
  • Sight-corrective glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses, and non-prescription cosmetic lenses (not for mail-order and e-commerce)
  • Gun, sword, gunpowder, spray, stun gun, crossbow (not for mail-order and e-commerce)
  • Other products prohibited from selling online according to relevant laws and regulations

Products and services that raise concerns regarding invasion of privacy and breach of communication privacy are restricted from being sold, promoted, or offered for consultation via KakaoTalk. Chatrooms, profiles, or content that handle the following products may be subject to measures such as restricting visibility in search results or content exposure, and limiting access to and use of chatrooms.

  • Sub-miniature or camouflage cameras
  • Wiretapping device or wiretapping app
  • Location tracker, location tracking app
  • Other products that may invade privacy and communications secret

KakaoTalk strictly prohibits debt collection practices that violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. If it is confirmed, through user or institutional reports or other methods, that KakaoTalk is being used to engage in or facilitate unlawful debt collection, including but not limited to the following examples, the user may be immediately and permanently suspended from using all KakaoTalk services.

  • Threatening the debtor or related parties, or using deceitful tactics (e.g., lies, deception, trickery)
  • Repeatedly contacting users without justifiable reasons or during nighttime hours (from 9PM to 8AM) via KakaoTalk messages or calls
  • Disclosing false information about the debt to third parties
  • Coercing the debtor or related parties to borrow money or secure repayment funds through similar methods
  • Demanding repayment from a third party to repay the debt on behalf of the debtor
  • Adding individuals related to the debtor (e.g., coworkers, family) to group chats and publicly disclosing personal or financial information
  • Disclosing the credit or personal data of the debtor or related parties, or using it for purposes other than debt collection
  • Demanding repayment for nonexistent or invalid debts
  • Engaging in debt collection or sending messages using a profile that pretends to represent a court, prosecutor's office, or other state agencies
  • Falsely representing one’s legal authority or position regarding debt collection
  • Falsely claiming that civil or criminal legal actions are underway
  • Unauthorized use of the name of another person or organization for the purpose of debt collection
  • Publicly exposing debt-related information in a group chat with unspecified participants
  • Any other action prohibited under applicable laws and regulations