Google Issues Sincere Apology for Exposing Digital Sex Crime Victim Data, Permanently Deletes Related Information

Full Suspension of Notification Letters for Domestic Removal Requests
Past Notification Data Also Blocked from External Access

Google has issued an official apology following the exposure of request document information belonging to digital sex crime victims during the deletion request process.

On September 9, Amanda Storey, Vice President of Trust & Safety, Regulatory Affairs, Transparency & Risk at Google, released an official statement, saying, "We sincerely apologize for the distress caused to victims and the public due to the unintended disclosure of information."

Google stated, "We deeply regret the serious harm and pain experienced by the victims and the public as a result of this incident." Explaining the background, the company added, "The principle that no sensitive or detailed information is ever shared with any third-party research database during internal work processes was not thoroughly upheld."

Google also announced, "We immediately activated an emergency response system with the relevant site, and permanently deleted all related notification documents from the affected server once the exposure was confirmed." At the same time, Google has completely suspended the transmission of notification letters to the site for any new legal deletion requests received in Korea, and has blocked access to notification letters related to past deletion requests from Korea so that they can no longer be viewed externally.

Google emphasized that it is communicating with relevant government agencies, sharing the progress of corrective actions and technical improvements, and that it will rebuild a secure channel for emergency deletion requests.

Google stated, "We promise to uphold the strictest standards in personal data protection and user safety," adding, "We will cooperate closely with the Korean government and specialized victim support organizations, and we will continue to prioritize and make every effort to protect victims."

Earlier, controversy arose after request documents submitted by digital sex crime victims—containing names and contact information—were made public on a foreign research project website collaborating with Google, following requests to delete illegal filming materials. In response, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family requested deletion from both Google and the site, and also requested an emergency review for access blocking by the Korea Communications Standards Commission.

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