A petition has emerged in the National Assembly urging an investigation into the restricted availability of Apple’s Find My service in South Korea.
According to the National Assembly’s Citizens’ Petition website, a petition titled “Petition Regarding the Unfair Discrimination of Apple Korea’s Find My Service for Unknown Reasons” has been active since the 22nd.
The petitioner emphasized, “Due to the restrictions imposed by Apple Korea on the Find My service, there is an urgent need for a national investigation into a situation that has caused losses over the past 15 years, citing domestic laws as a major concern.” They further highlighted, “Since its launch in 2010, the Find My feature, which allows users to locate lost devices, has remained inactive in most areas of South Korea, regardless of users’ nationality.”
The Find My feature enables users to remotely lock their devices with a passcode and track their location if lost or stolen.
The petitioner expressed concern: “Apple devices provide no defense against loss or theft, leaving victims vulnerable when iPhone thieves attempt to unlock and resell stolen devices using phishing messages.”
According to the petitioner, Apple attributed the service’s unavailability to export control issues with precise mapping data. At the same time, the Korea Communications Commission responded to inquiries affirming that it does not involve legal issues.
If a petition in the National Assembly gathers 50,000 signatures within 30 days, it will be forwarded to the relevant standing committee. The deadline for signatures on this petition is August 21.
