US Warns South Korea Network Act Amendment Could 'Endanger' Tech Cooperation in 2025

They've shaken hands, but the fists are still clenched. A senior U.S. diplomat has voiced sharp criticism over South Korea's recently passed revision to its Information and Communications Network Act, warning it could grant regulators an "invasive license for viewpoint-based censorship."

Deep Concerns Over South Korea Network Act Amendment

According to Yonhap News, Under Secretary of State Sarah Rogers made the comments on social media on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. The amendment, which cleared the National Assembly on Dec. 24, aims to curb the spread of illegal and fabricated online information that incites violence or discrimination.

"South Korea's proposed amendment... ostensibly focused on redressing defamatory deepfakes, reaches much further—and endangers tech cooperation," Rogers wrote on X. She argued that while deepfakes are a legitimate concern, providing victims with civil remedies is a superior approach to giving regulators broad censorship powers.

Collision with the Trump Administration's Free Speech Agenda

The friction comes as Donald Trump's administration actively pushes to restore freedom of speech and end what it terms "censorship." The U.S. remains wary that the new law could unfairly target American tech giants like Google and Meta.

This public display of concern follows a joint fact sheet released in November, where both nations committed to ensuring that U.S. companies face no unnecessary barriers or discrimination in digital service policies. Washington now views the revised act as a potential breach of that commitment, setting the stage for diplomatic and trade tensions as 2026 approaches.