알파경제 - Korean Regulator Investigates OpenAI’s ChatGPT for Potential Telecom Law Violations

Photo= Open AI

[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) has launched an investigation into OpenAI’s usage restrictions on ChatGPT, citing potential violations of the Telecommunications Business Act. 

The regulator stated on Thursday that if OpenAI failed to sufficiently inform and obtain user consent regarding usage limits, it could constitute a legal violation.


Currently, OpenAI imposes message limits even on paid subscribers of ChatGPT. Users of the $200-per-month ChatGPT Pro plan face restrictions, with the latest GPT-4o model limited to 80 messages every three hours and the o-1 model capped at 50 messages per day. The KCC aims to determine whether OpenAI adequately disclosed these limitations to users at the time of subscription.


The regulator is also investigating ChatGPT’s cancellation and refund policies. At present, ChatGPT Pro subscriptions do not allow immediate cancellation or refunds; instead, cancellations take effect only from the next billing cycle. 

The KCC noted that domestic online video streaming services (OTT platforms) have previously faced corrective measures from the Korea Fair Trade Commission for similar practices that obstruct consumer contract cancellations.

알파경제 Kim Jisun (stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)