A system glitch on Naver has led to the public exposure of past anonymous activities of numerous celebrities, including entertainers, chefs, athletes, and influencers.
On the afternoon of the 4th, a new 'Knowledge' button was added to some celebrities' Naver profiles, inadvertently revealing their previously anonymous Q&A histories. Online communities quickly buzzed with posts capturing past responses from actors, comedians, and chefs, creating a significant stir overnight.
The button has since been removed from profiles. According to a media report, Naver stated, "An error occurred during a service update, leading to the exposure of some individuals' histories," and confirmed that "the situation has now been fully restored."
The exposure incident is believed to have occurred when profiles and Knowledge accounts were linked for individuals who registered their Naver profiles personally. This primarily affected actors, announcers, and chefs who managed their profiles during their early careers, unlike idol groups whose profiles are typically managed by agencies.
Currently, online communities are engaged in a phenomenon dubbed 'digging up the past,' uncovering records from up to a decade ago. Despite the anonymity of the exposed answers, many are finding them to be candid and relatable, leading to positive reactions such as "surprisingly ordinary" and "people are generally good-natured."
While some appreciate the unexpected human side revealed through past answers, there is also significant criticism regarding the indiscriminate exposure of personal information and privacy without consent.
Reported by Min-Kyung Lee, TenAsia 2min_ror@tenasia.co.kr