South Korea’s revised Information and Communications Network Act—often referred to as the “fake news” law—takes effect on July 7 (next Tuesday). The law applies a single legal standard to a range of online posts, including viral YouTube videos, one-star reviews on delivery apps, and contentious comments in parenting communities. It introduces punitive damages for “major online information producers” if they post content authorities classify as unlawful. Those targeted include individuals on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok who meet certain scale thresholds, such as having at least 100,000 subscribers or averaging more than 100,000 monthly views over a defined three-month period, and who have published at least three pieces of content in that timeframe. The enforcement decree also specifies who may be sued for punitive damages over illegal or fabricated information. In addition, major internet platforms—including Naver, Kakao, Google and Meta—face potential high penalties if they fail to appropriately police and remove or restrict unlawful content. While the changes are framed around addressing harmful misinformation, civil liberties advocates cited in coverage raise concerns that the rules could lead to broader censorship or heightened restrictions on online speech.