Safe Society vs. Surveillance Society: Citizen Watchdogs Stronger Than Crackdowns

The Spread of Public Reporting Apps
A Positive Role in Raising Social Awareness
Punitive YouTube Content Gains Popularity
Even Minor Mistakes Become Targets of Criticism
Reports Increasing as a Means of Venting Anger
"Need to Redefine the Scope and Purpose of Reporting"

Mr. A, a 41-year-old office worker, recently received a fine notice after someone reported him via dashcam footage for driving without using his turn signal. He said, "I didn't use the blinker because I thought there was no risk of an accident, but getting fined afterward makes me feel unfairly treated."

Image related to traffic violation notification. ChatGPT

Recently, there has been a surge in citizen reports of everyday violations of public order. Analysts point to the widespread use of public reporting applications and the influence of punitive YouTube content as major factors. However, concerns are also being raised that the normalization of private surveillance could lead to an excessively rigid society.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on November 21, the number of public interest reports submitted via the "Safety Report" app increased from 226,919 cases in 2017 to 12,434,938 cases last year, marking a 55-fold increase over seven years. In particular, last year saw a 65.2% surge compared to the previous year (7,528,979 cases). The Safety Report app is a public reporting platform where citizens can directly report various illegal or order-disrupting acts in daily life, such as illegal parking, traffic violations, and illegal dumping of waste.

The number of traffic law violations detected by the National Police Agency also reached an all-time high last year, with 25,696,325 cases. Jang, a 37-year-old office worker, said, "I've reported more than 20 traffic violations in the past three months alone," adding, "I do it because I hope society will become a little safer and better." In fact, the increase in detected cases is more attributable to citizen reports than to intensified crackdowns. A police official explained, "Even violations that used to require on-site enforcement, such as failing to use turn signals or crossing stop lines, are now increasingly being detected through citizen reports."

Such public interest reporting is credited with strengthening the social safety net. As citizen participation in reporting traffic or environmental violations increases, awareness of social norms spreads and blind spots in enforcement are reduced. Experts say this "participatory surveillance" plays a positive role in building a safer society by supplementing the manpower limitations of public institutions. There are more and more cases where issues like illegal parking or waste dumping are being improved through citizen reports.

The problem lies in the potential transformation into a "surveillance society." As reports aimed at "punishment" rather than simply addressing violations increase, even minor mistakes are becoming targets of moral condemnation. The popularity of punitive content on YouTube is also contributing to this trend. For example, videos by YouTubers who directly report vehicles that misuse disabled parking stickers are garnering 200,000 to 300,000 views per video. In the process, there are growing side effects such as personal information being exposed or conflicts arising from malicious reports. Reporting is thus at risk of shifting from a means of achieving justice to a tool for "venting anger" or "gaining popularity."

Experts emphasize the need to socially redefine the scope and purpose of reporting. They argue that the reporting culture should be guided to genuinely contribute to the public good and social safety, rather than merely reporting minor violations. The government is also working to improve the system by introducing measures such as "limiting duplicate reports" and "punishing false reports" to mitigate the side effects of reward-based reporting.

Heo Changduk, professor of sociology at Yeungnam University, said, "Public interest reporting clearly has positive aspects in preventing dangerous situations and establishing order," but also pointed out, "If it degenerates into an outlet for anger or a tool for revenge, the social capital of tolerance and trust that sustains our society could be depleted."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.